


Clear Visions

by bigwolfpup, TiBun



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alpha Anakin Skywalker, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, Bottom Obi-Wan Kenobi, Canon-Typical Violence, Knight Anakin Skywalker, Lemon, M/M, Mating Bites, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Minor Character Death, Mpreg, Mutation, No Sith Rule of Two, Nudity, Obi-Wan Kenobi is Not a Jedi, Obi-Wan and Anakin are the Same Age, Omega Obi-Wan Kenobi, Omega Verse, Slavery, Smut, Star Wars: The Old Republic - Voss, Star Wars: The Prequel Trilogy - Freeform, Star Wars: the Clone Wars - Freeform, The Jedi Order, The Sith Order, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, Top Anakin Skywalker, Voss - Freeform, Voss Mystics - Freeform, obikin, star wars: the old republic - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-23
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2020-12-27 23:28:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 139,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21127025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bigwolfpup/pseuds/bigwolfpup, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TiBun/pseuds/TiBun
Summary: To the Jedi a vision is a premonition of something that could come to pass. A warning to take with a grain of salt and something to keep in the back of the mind while living in the present. But the Jedi are not the only Force-gifted group to have visions, and to the people of the long forgotten planet of Voss, visions are what they form their civilization around.The people of Voss need the help of the Jedi to fend off an old enemy long thought eradicated from the Galaxy, but can the Jedi trust the warning that comes purely from a vision?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: We do not own any recognizable characters, we only explore the possibilities.
> 
> Note: We actually have this fic completely written before posting! We just need to give each chapter a beta-read to correct any mistakes/typos before we post updates. But updates should be fairly often

_ A light breeze blew through their hair, a smile gracing the lips of the tall blond. They sat together, simply enjoying a moment together, a moment alone, in the midst of chaos. There seemingly was nothing that could break the tranquillity, but there was always that looming danger of war in the backs of their minds. Still… at least now was calm and only about them. _

_ A gentle hand grabbed Obi-Wan’s and squeezed gently, then equally as gentle arms were wrapped around him in a hug. The owner of said arms moved his face so Obi-Wan could see it, the smile, kind eyes matching perfectly with the golden curls that framed his face. The smile only seemed to grow wider as he inched closer. _

_ “We’re safe here, Obi, I promise. Everything is gonna be okay, alright?” _

_ His hands pulled back and gently grasped Obi-Wan’s arms. _

_ “I promise.” _

* * *

Obi-Wan gasped and opened his eyes wide as he took slow, deep breaths to keep himself calm. It had happened again—the _ recurring _vision while meditating.

The human with dark curls that highlighted in gold when the light hit them just right, the gentle look in his bright blue eyes, the gentle, concerned tone in his voice as he said that everything would be okay…

The door opened, and he looked up at the small group that entered. His mother smiled at him from where she stood just outside the door.

"Your first heat has ended, are you prepared to take your pilgrimage, young potential?”

“I am.” he said, pushing himself up onto his feet and crossing over to those who had prepared him for this very important day in his 15 year old life. The day he would take his pilgrimage to the Shrine of Healing, and take the Mystic Trials. It was the day he’d either die, walk out a failure, or be chosen as a mystic and his visions would protect all of Voss. The recurring vision didn’t matter. He wasn’t a Mystic yet, at least, and the visions of a non-Mystic weren’t important—weren’t accurate. He quickly pushed it to the back of his mind so that he could focus on what was actually important.

* * *

**Six years Later.**

* * *

“Hmm, late he is.” the toddler-sized Jedi Grandmaster, Yoda, hummed, rolling his gimmer stick between his three-fingered hands, his long ears twitching as his gaze focused ahead out the floor-to-ceiling windows across from him. “Which reason may it be? Droid tinkering? Ships?”

“A certain Senator he doesn’t think we know about, no doubt.” the Korun next to him huffed.

“Just friends, they are.” Yaddle, another troll said simply, picking a piece of candy out of the pockets of her robes, “Covered in oil, he will be.”

“He’s still an hour late from when we sent the summons. Are we sure we want to entrust this to Knight Skywalker?” Shaak Ti, the Togruta master said. “This mission is highly unusual and—delicate. Skywalker isn’t known to be anything less than reckless.”

“Faith in him, I have.” Yoda hummed, leaning over towards Yaddle and reaching for the candy she had just unwrapped, only to have his hand swatted away.

Suddenly the doors to the council room swung open, and in walked a very grease and oil-covered blond, looking apologetic as he walked in. “Sorry I’m late. I… lost track of time. I hope I’m not too late?”

Yaddle giggled and flexed her fingers at Mace, “Covered in oil he is. Pay up you should.”

“There was no discussion of any such pot in the betting pool.” the bald man huffed.

“You need to work on your punctuality, Knight Skywalker.” Shaak said.

“I apologize. I’ll try to be on time next meeting I’m called to.” Anakin bowed respectfully and apologetically. “Now what is it that you have called me for?”

“We have received a most curious holo message recently.” Mace sighed, lacing his fingers together as he leaned forward, “...Madam Nuu found it in the archives, received through a very old holo communicator left over from the days of the Old Republic. Frankly speaking, it’s a wonder that the thing still works.”

“The message came from a planet unknown to us, and the temple archivists are scouring everything in search of some mention of it, as the people there obviously has had contact with the Jedi before, long ago. In the meantime we managed to transfer the incoming message to a modern projector so that we can actually view the message. The old one was only able to receive.” Shaak said.

Anakin whistled low. “The Old Republic? Wow, that is old. So this message has been around for thousands of years and we just now found it?”

“You misunderstand.” Mace shook his head, “The message is only weeks old.”

“Seriously? Whoever is on the other side is either really desperate to contact us or is centuries behind in technology.” 

“Likely true both statements are.” Yoda hummed, flicking his wrist. Panels to block out the sunlight from outside began to lower, and Yaddle leaned forward to activate the recording.

It was dim, faded, and hard to see, even in the darkened room. The voice distorted and fizzed, but her message still got across. The woman was of a race unfamiliar to all in the room. She seemed very tall, there were lines on her face that could be markings, or tattoos, it was hard to tell. And her eyes were similar to a chiss in lacking pupils and irises. Color was all unknown as the image was faded completely to grey, not even the glow of blue that average holo calls and recordings tended to show up in.

“_ —Jedi, it has been long since we l—st made contact with any outsider. But the mystics have had a vision, and we cannot —re what it’s interpretation speaks of. We need your help. The Sith plan to return to Voss, and they w—stroy all of Voss if they are able to succeed. Voss is unprepared, but we remember the Sith’s foe. Please he— Voss. One Mystic takes to the stars to— _”

The message cut out and Yaddle sighed, turning it off as Yoda had the panels rise again. “Lost, more of the message is.” she said.

“Voss…” Anakin tilted his head at the frozen recording. “Never heard of this place before. Are they located in this galaxy?”

“Not that we’re aware of, but there are some places of empty space that could be hiding a planet or two that have been forgotten over so much time. It had to have been back before the great Jedi-Sith War where the Sith fell once and for all.” Mace said. “They seem to be under the impression that the Sith are still a threat to the galaxy.”

“Sith or not, they’ve clearly reached out to us after years of isolation. They must need our help for something.” Anakin thought for a bit. “Play back that last part of the message before it cuts off. It said something about someone taking to the stars.”

Yaddle did so, not bothering to wait for the room to darken again.

“_ ...Voss is unprepared, but we remember the Sith’s foe. Please he— Voss. One Mystic takes to the stars to— _” the message repeated.

"Takes to the stars… does that mean they sent someone here?"

“We believe that is what they mean, yes.” Shaak said, “We have gotten reports of a rather—ancient looking ship being on course for Coruscant. We have a theory that it is these people from Voss.”

"I'm surprised their ship still runs even. Must be all rusty and falling apart. Can't wait to see it." Anakin smiled wide.

“It could be just an old design. The report didn’t come with visuals.” Shaak shook her head.

“The ship travels slower than most, but it’s reportedly close enough to arrive late tonight. We are tasking you with greeting our unexpected guests as well as helping them with whatever it is they are needing. The council will meet with them, of course, but we are placing you in charge of—whatever this is.” Mace said.

"Alright, I'll wait in the hangar tonight. Here's to hoping they're friendly."

Yoda nodded, “Know what to expect, we do not. Act with caution, you should.”

"Of course. I don't plan on getting vaporised or whatever tonight." Anakin chuckled mainly to himself.

“Dismissed you are, prepare you should.” Yaddle said, slipping a piece of candy into the pocket of his robe much to Yoda’s desmay at having been already denied a sweet.

Anakin smiled and bowed before leaving. He intended to get some sleep, and a shower, before he was to meet the potential Voss native.

* * *

Hours passed and night fell on the Jedi temple. The blond alpha stood in the hangar next to his Starfighter he usually took out for a spin every once in a while. Waiting for the Voss ship was much more boring than others might have imagined it. He kicked some dirt on the floor, glanced around the hangar too many times to count, and sighed just as many times. Eventually he pulled out his lightsaber and swung it around a little simply to pass the time.

The hanger doors opened suddenly, clearly a ship had gotten clearance to land, and moments later a large, clunky ship pulled in. The thing was old, and not in the classic sense that made fans of old ship designs wet themselves in excitement. No, this thing looked more like a flying junkyard that had no business flying amongst the stars.

Anakin grimaced. "Yikes…" he approached the ship as its engines started to shut down and settled the air. "Talk about garbage."

The ship whined noisily as the engines shut down and the ramp lowered. It sounded like a dying Purrgil, and not at all like any healthy engine.

Once the ramp was completely down, four pairs of legs started down. Two sets belonged to a race with green-grey skin and horn-like forms coming off their flat faces. They both were armed with large blasters, and wore armor. One was a more human shaped race with blue skin and markings that matched the holo message Anakin had seen. On his belt was a simple vibroblade that seemed more of an afterthought than a usual necessity. The three were also toweringly tall; so much so, he was sure they would make his old master, Qui-Gon, feel as short as Yoda probably felt every day. Okay, so he was exaggerating a bit, but they would still dwarf the unusually tall human.

However, the last pair of legs belonged to a rather short human with long red hair pulled up in a halo-like bun atop his head, a sweet floral scent following him as he walked in the center of the otherwise tall group. He had a rather bored look on his face, and wore flowing robes that looked soft and light. He also appeared to be completely unarmed.

Anakin instantly recognised the human to be an omega. Made sense, considering the sweet scent that followed him and the way he dressed. The blond stepped forward, clearing his throat and putting his best foot forward, despite the rickety old ship that had just landed in the hangar.

“Welcome to Coruscant," he started as he got closer. He stopped a good few meters from the ramp, just in case the big horned brutes saw him as threatening. He kind of got the impression that they were both alphas, though it was different for different races. “I hope you didn’t have too much trouble getting here.”

“The stars are cold.” the human stated, hinting that he was the one in charge as he stepped before the Jedi and looked up at him, “It was unexpected. I always imagined them to be warm and welcoming.

Omega, _ definitely _an omega. It was strange to see one being in charge, but not all planets treated their omegas as delicate things needing protection and who could not hold a place of power. Maybe this Voss place was one of those more progressive planets.

"Do you always sound this bored?" Anakin smirked. "Yeah, space is cold. Always has been, unless of course you're being pulled into a stars gravitational field, then you start to warm up real quick."

He held out his hand in greeting. "I'm Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, by the way. I'm to take you to the Council."

The omega looked at the extended hand, seemingly confused by it, “I assumed you were a Jedi, as the Jedi is who we have been needing to contact.” he looked up from the hand back at Anakin, “I am Mystic Obi-Wan.”

Anakin dropped his hand. "Okay… nice to meet you. Are these guys your guards or something? They're quite tall."

“They are Voss.” Obi-Wan shrugged, the movements of his shoulders very slight, “Nodin-Va," he motioned to the blue man in the group, “is my interpreter should I have another vision during my time away from the Temple of Healing.” He then gestured to the other two in turn, “Rak-Ta and Rik-Ol are my protectors.”

"Bodyguards…well the Jedi temple is guarded pretty heavily. I don't think you'll need to use them while you stay here." Anakin turned and gestured for the four to follow him. "Let's go. Better to not keep the council waiting."

“We do not need outsider help to protect Mystic Obi-Wan.” Rak-Ta grunted out as the group followed the Jedi.

"Right, and I don't need my lightsaber on me at all times, but the extra protection is nice to have." Anakin sighed to himself. Boy this sure was a fun group to be around.

“Lightsaber...is that what you call your swords of light that are mentioned in our archives from the last time outsiders came to Voss?” Obi-Wan asked.

"They've always been called that, Mystic. By the way, your ship is a hunk of junk. I wouldn't trust it to take you back home."

“The ship was left on Voss by you outsiders when you left. We do not take to the stars on our own.” Obi-Wan supplied. “It took much time to get it to work at all again.”

“Well remind me to get the council to give you a new ship before you go. And don’t let it sit for thousands of years this time, or it’ll end up like the one you came in on.” The group arrived at the elevator that would take them all the way up to the council chambers. Anakin let the Voss visitors go in first before getting in himself, hitting the button to take them up.

“Voss had no reason to leave before my last vision.” Obi-Wan stated, glancing over the glowing buttons of the lift.

“You guys like isolation or something? Don’t want to explore the galaxy and discover different cultures?”

“The Outsider’s Republic and Empire brought much to Voss that was…” he trailed off before shaking his head, “One Outsider helped Voss and Gormak-Voss be reunited as one, but the rest were there for greed and their war. Wanted the Mystics to help them win a fight that would do no good for Voss. Once Outsiders finally left, Voss stayed.”

“So how did a human end up on Voss then if outsiders weren’t welcomed?”

“Very few outsiders wishing to leave their war among the stars behind, stayed. Voss allowed them as they did not harm Voss. Over generations they changed as our planet accepted them as Native, and they too, became Voss and even began mixing with Voss in marriage. I am one of those Little Voss descended from the once-Outsiders.”

“Little Voss, huh? Thought a less descriptive name would have been picked, but hey, who am I to judge? Voss are rather huge anyways.” Anakin glanced at Nodin-Va briefly before looking back at the elevator doors. Force, it felt stuffy in there.

“The Little Voss are little.” Rik-Ol stated, “Gormak Voss are Gormak, but also Voss.”

“We remember the Jedi do not like Voss, But Voss now has a common enemy with the Jedi. Two should work as one against the Sith.” Obi-Wan said.

"If you didn't take sides before, why now? Are the Sith going to make some gigantic comeback that'll threaten the fate of the entire galaxy? The Sith haven't been around for centuries."

“The Sith are here.” Obi-Wan said with high confidence. “It seems the Jedi are blind.”

Anakin blinked. "Okay, whatever you say…"

At last the elevator arrived at the council's chambers. Anakin led the group out and up to the large wooden doors, opening one and holding it open for the others to go in before him. Some of the masters were sitting in their chairs already, others were holoprojected in. 

Obi-Wan and his companions looked around the room as they stepped to the center of the circle. The Mystic’s eyes moved over each Jedi Master in the room before settling on Yoda, clearly picking up on the fact that the old troll was in charge above the others.

“Greetings, Outsiders, Voss thanks you for meeting with us.”

“Just so you guys know, their ship is super old and I recommend getting them a new ship before they leave?" Anakin said before standing off to the side.

“An honor, it is," Yoda started with a smile. “Come a long ways, you have. Tired, you must be.”

“Mystic Obi-Wan did not sleep well in the cold stars.” Nodin-Va stated, “His heat is also near, he will need a private space.”

Anakin’s alpha side made him perk up a little hearing that an omega’s heat would soon arrive. Rak-Ta, or was it Rik-Ol? The two looked far too similar. —gave a hard look at Anakin and shifted forward a step to block his view of Obi-Wan.

“We are not here to discuss my cycle, or tiredness, Nodin-Va. We are here for the good of Voss.” Obi-Wan stated.

“Proper sleeping quarters, you will receive." Yoda promised. “Many supplies, we have. Comfortable, you will be.”

“Will you be needing your companions to stay in the same room as you?" Mace Windu asked, leaning forward with interest.

“No, not the same room, but close. I’m sure Rak-Ta and Rik-Ol will want to guard the door when I succumb to my nature.” Obi-Wan stated, giving in as it was clear that was exactly the topic that would be discussed at the moment.

"We'll give them rooms next to yours then." Windu stated. 

"Discuss details, we will, when the sun rises. Show them to their rooms, will you, young Skywalker?"

Anakin tore his eyes away from the two gormak to look at Yoda. "Yeah. To the omega rooms?"

"Correct, young Skywalker."

"Thank you for your hospitality, Jedi." Obi-Wan said with a nod of his head.

As soon as they were dismissed, Anakin led the group back to the elevator. “The omega rooms are on a separate floor and on the opposite side of the building as the alpha rooms. You won’t be disturbed unless you need someone. During your heat, I mean." Anakin said, glancing at the Gormak again and suppressing a growl.

“I am not worried.Unless Outsider alphas do not respect an omega’s heat period as Voss alphas do?” Obi-Wan questioned, fixing his blue eyes on Anakin.

Internally, Anakin’s stomach did a flip as he made eye contact with the redhead. “We’re Jedi, we respect just about anyone, including omegas.”

Obi-Wan hummed at that, “Jedi specifically, though. Not other Outsiders?”

“I can’t speak for everyone on this planet. But there are temple guards protecting the omega rooms. They’re alphas required to be bonded to a mate already before they can become guards, so they’re not tempted to mate with anyone. It’s probably the safest place in the whole Jedi temple.”

“So, Outsiders need guards to stay untouched.” Obi-Wan considered.

Anakin shrugged. “No outsider is getting past the guards unless an omega specifically invited them. Hell, even I can’t get past those guards. I’d have my ass handed to me before I got to so much as take a peek at the doors to the rooms.”

“What an interesting mental image. Does that mean you’ll be prepared in guiding us and hold onto it before it can be handed to you?”

Anakin smirked. “So you can show a bit of emotion. Or at least you can make a joke. Didn’t see you smile… A few of the guards are going to show you to your rooms. Your things should already be next to at least the room you will be staying in.”

“Voss are not without emotion, but simply leave it to poetry and verse. Little Voss, however, tend to show it a little more often.” Nodin-Va stated.

“Thank god. I think I’d get bored talking to any more Voss, no offence.” 

The elevator doors opened once more, this time to a floor that looked much like an endless hallway of doors and windows. On the left side, windows gave a view of the levels below, opening into a grand foyer with perhaps hundreds of pillars keeping the temple up. On the right side, doors until the end of the hallway, where options to go left and right were given. Anakin led them down the full length of the hallway and turned right, then at the end of that hallway, turned left to a larger looking room that was obviously an entryway to a new part of the building. At least four guards stood on each side of the large transparisteel doors adorned with frilly, gold designs. Very clearly the entrance to the Omega embassy.

Approaching the guards, Anakin’s pace slowed until he came to a full stop when he could hear low growls from the guards. “Just dropping these four off. The human is the omega. His things have been left at the room he was designated.”

One of the guards grunted, presumably the head guard. He stepped forward and removed his mask. He was an older alpha, a mirialan with diamond tattoos running diagonally across his cheeks. “All your things were delivered while you met with the council. I was told two rooms are reserved, is that correct?" he asked, looking at Anakin.

“Yes, Zav. A room for the omega and the other for his companions.”

Zav nodded, then he turned and offered a smile to the guests. “We’ll show you to your rooms then. I’ll need to bring one of my guards with me, just as a precaution with these alphas joining you." he said to Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan blinked, “Gormak and Voss do not have secondary genders. Only Little Voss.” He said, surprised that the Jedi would assume his companions were alphas. They were large and imposing, true, but they certainly lacked the smell of an alpha. “If you smell alpha, it is clearly from that one.” he nodded back towards Anakin. “His scent has been fluctuating wildly since we met.”

Anakin flushed a little and scoffed.

Zav nodded. "Then I will not need my extra guard. Follow me if you will." The guard opened up the doors to the omega embassy and motioned for the group of four to follow, leaving Anakin behind. Everything about the embassy was stereotypically decorated for omegas. Light pastel colours, soft scents and dim lighting for the night time but just bright enough to illuminate the halls to provide a feeling of safety for all who lived or stayed in the embassy. A few alpha guards were scattered about, doing rounds and making sure no omega was in distress. Each occupied room they passed came with a unique scent that would have drove any unbounded alpha nuts from the large amounts of pheromones in the air. 

Eventually they arrived at a couple of rooms with bags stacked outside of them. "Here we are." Zav announced. "Everything you should need besides your belongings should be in your rooms. If you should need anything else, locate a guard and tell them what you need. They will be more than happy to help."

“Thank you, Outsider, we will get settled.” Nodin-Va said, picking up some of the bags as the two Gormack each swept into both rooms for a security check before stepping out again with a satisfied nod.

“Rooms are clear.”

Obi-Wan took his bags and stepped into one of them, claiming it as his own as Nodin-Va closed the door behind him so he could get settled and rested.

The night passed by with no emergencies, and soon the first light of morning began filling the sky. It wasn’t much longer before the council room started to fill up with Jedi masters. Seats belonging to masters off planet remained empty until they were needed for the meeting with the Voss visitors.

Anakin had been dubbed the escort of said visitors while they were on Coruscant. He waited patiently outside the omega embassy for his tour group, as he so lovingly called them, making sure to not make any sort of eye contact with the guards watching him with sharp eyes.

Finally, the group of four emerged, clearly much more awake and energized as, Anakin realized, they had been rather lazilly put together when they arrived. Especially Obi-Wan.

The omega’s hair was much more intricate with braids weaved with ribbons in his hair, and his eyes were lined with black, lips painted pink, and his robes glittering with sparse gold threads hidden in the white that could only be seen in the sunlight.

Anakin smiled as the group approached him. “Good morning. I trust you all slept well?”

“We did—or, I did. Pretty sure these two fretted outside my door on and off all night.” Obi-Wan said, gesturing at his grumpy looking Gormak protectors.

“Well, hopefully their grumpiness won’t make this morning’s meeting too terrible and long.” Anakin chuckled. “Shall we?”

“Lead the way, Jedi. Your temple is...confusing.” Obi-Wan said.

Arriving to the council chambers once more, Anakin again took the sidelines, standing to the side of the group as they were once more addressed by Yoda.

“For help, you came." he started. “The Sith’s return, you foretell. Inform us, you will.”

“How much do the Jedi remember of Voss?” Obi-Wan asked.

“Next to nothing, really." Windu replied. “When we got your message, it surprised us.”

“I see.” Obi-Wan nodded and shifted his weight, “Some Voss have visions, and those who have visions can take the trials to become Mystics. A Mystic’s visions are never wrong. It is the reason Outsiders came to Voss long ago. Wanting the Mystics of the time to supply visions to win their war in the stars.”

“Well there is no war now. In the message that was sent to us, it was mentioned that the Sith were going to come up again. You think another war could break out if we do nothing about this return?”

“I had a vision. The Sith are smaller in group numbers to avoid detection, and they will find Voss. They will take the mystics and twist them to their will, destruction will devastate Voss, and then they will take to the stars once more to aim for their oldest enemy—which we believe are the Jedi. With the Mystics, they will win, and their devastation will spread.” Obi-Wan stated.

“If this vision is true… then we need to start searching for Sith or preparing for a war.”

“Is this really a choice?" Anakin spoke up, stepping forward. “If we try to hunt down the Sith, we leave Voss open for the taking. We need to help Voss prepare for the SIth, have them come to us instead of us finding them.”

“There is always a choice." Windu snapped back at Anakin. “We hardly know anything about Voss. We don’t even know if the Sith have already taken over and they’re just trying to trick us.”

“Voss do not fight Voss.” one of the Gormak snapped, “Voss protects Voss by the guidance of the Mystics.”

“The vision showed us we can not save Voss alone, it also showed us our best allies would be the Outsiders known as Jedi. So we came to the Jedi for help.”

“If we need to, we can have Jedi both on Voss and out searching for the Sith." Anakin suggested. “But like, more than just two or three on Voss.”

Windu sighed, looking over to Yoda. “What do you think?”

Humming, the grandmaster tapped his walking stick on the ground. “Help Voss, we should. Search for Sith, we also should. Do both, maybe not…” He hummed more. “Think on this more, the council should. Help Voss, we cannot, if at a disagreement, we are.”

“I agree with Master Yoda." Shaak Ti spoke up. “We need time to discuss. Surely the Sith will not return within the next day.” She looked back at the Voss group. “Do your visions have specific times attached with them?”

“No. We prepare and wait.” Obi-Wan stated.

Shaak Ti nodded. “Then, once again, I agree with Master Yoda. We need time to discuss.”

Windu nodded. “If that is out final verdict for now, then let’s depart and meet again in a few hours. Skywalker, you and this group are dismissed until we contact you.”

Anakin bowed and headed towards the door.

Obi-Wan nodded and turned to go, his companions following. 

Once outside the chamber, he slouched his shoulders slightly, “It seems the Jedi still do not like or trust us.”

“They are Voss’ only hope, Mystic, have faith they will put aside their prejudice of old.” Nodin-Va said, placing his hand on Obi-Wan’s shoulder.

“If it means anything to you," Anakin spoke up. “if I were in charge, I’d be sending Jedi to Voss already.”

“Kind, but not truly helpful.” Obi-Wan said, walking over to him. “So what do we do while we wait?”

The blond blinked. “Well… I guess if you wanted a tour of Coruscant I could give you one. Or you can relax in your room if that’s what you want. You’re the guests, so it’s entirely up to you what you want to do now.”

“I suppose I’ll go with the tour. This world is very different from Voss.”

“Sure, lets go get a shuttle then and I’ll fly you around this part of coruscant. The other side of the city is sleeping at this point, so unless you have a desperate need to see the city at night right now, we can wait until tonight.”

"I did see it at night, it was...bright." Obi-Wan said, "Take me where you think is worth seeing."

Anakin nodded. “Are you hungry? I know a pretty good diner. Best greasy food you’ll ever have.”

"Greasy food?"

“Yeah… like fast food.” Anakin shook his head. “I’ll just have to show you. Come on.” He waved his hand for the group to follow him, once again calling them his tour group in his head as he rolled his eyes to himself.

Once they obtained a speeder, Anakin escorted them across the city and to the diner he spoke of. Along the way he pointed out special buildings, especially the senate building, which was honestly hard to miss considering it was taller than even the Jedi temple. A few other important buildings and exits were pointed out before finally they parked near the diner. Anakin almost had the thought of helping Obi-Wan out, but he thought it best if he didn’t touch the small omega. He’d probably find a fist or six clobbering him down to the ground.

“Here it is." he announced. “Dex’s Diner. Some of the best food in the galaxy.”

One of the Gormak hopped out of the back seat first, holding his hand out to help his Mystic safely out of the speeder so that he wouldn’t fall through the slim gap between where the speeder was parked and the durasteel walkway.

As they went inside, one if the waitress droids welcomed them, music playing almost too loud to hear it. Anakin led them over to a larger booth, letting the others seat themselves before he sat down. He had to admit he felt awkward sitting next to basically a bodyguard for the omega sitting on the other side of the table.

One of the droids came by to give them menus before rolling off again.

“What would you suggest, Jedi?” Obi-Wan asked, looking over the entirely unfamiliar options listed.

"Well, since you're not used to the food here, probably something light, like this." Anakin pointed out a few menu items that would be light on unfamiliar stomachs. Meanwhile, his heart was set on a big bantha burger.

Obi-Wan nodded, turning to discuss the lighter options with his three companions, though, for a breath of a moment, his eyes flickered up and to the side, stealing a glance of Anakin before focusing once more on the menu.

When the droid returned to take their orders, including drinks, and their menus were gathered so they would be out of the way. Anakin settled into the booth with a sigh and looked around, ignoring the glances of those curious about the new aliens they had never seen before.

"So…what's food like in Voss? Any magical fruits you guys eat or something?"

“Magic is fictional. We have perfectly normal crops and animals to hunt and prepare.”

“So you guys hunt and harvest. Makes sense. Are your seasons long?”

“We have two seasons, each as long as the other.”

“When is your harvest then? Does it last a whole season, or only part of one?”

“We grow and harvest all through the warm season, then in the cold season we increase hunting when our stores get low.” Obi-Wan shrugged.

Anakin nodded. “So what’s the climate like, the atmosphere, what kind of planet is Voss?”

“Nothing like here.” Obi-Wan said, “We have forests and valleys, some cliffs. This place—this place is so cold and dead. You called our ship a piece of junk, but I think it rather fits with this planet’s look.”

Anakin grimaced a little. "You haven't seen modern ships then. Trust me, that ship you came on probably has more screws and bolts loose than I can count on all my fingers and toes."

“So fifteen. That’s not too bad, I’d say.” Obi-Wan said, his lips twitching upwards at the corners.

Anakin blinked, then lifted his cybernetic arm. "Wow, you're funny _ and _you can smile." Anakin flashed a smile back.

“Only when I feel like it.”

"Must not be very often. You're pretty… emotionless for an omega, or even a human really."

“I am Voss.” Obi-Wan protested, “Little Voss are not the same as our outsider ancestors. We’ve been changed by our planet.”

"Well, you should smile more. Makes you look…" Anakin chose his next word carefully, noting the looks he was getting from Obi-Wan's bodyguards. "Nice."

“Nice.” Obi-Wan repeated, “I do not look kind otherwise?”

"No, you just look bored all the time. It's odd to see another human so emotionless."

“Voss, and we are not emotionless.” Obi-Wan insisted again.

"Alright, then show me other emotions. Smile again, frown, look angry. I'm convinced you don't do those that often."

“I’m not angry, why should I show something I’m not?”

"To prove to me that you can actually show emotion."

“I can recite a poem if you need proof of Voss emotions.”

"You… Show emotion through poetry." Anakin sighed. "Nevermind, we'll try emotions some other time."

“Poetry or song.” Obi-Wan said. “Such emotions and stories are beautiful.”

"I'm sure." Anakin sighed. "So, moving on, you guys haven't had contact with anyone outside your planet since the Old Republic? That was thousands of years ago. Just didn't want anything to do with anyone else?"

"Voss had to focus on peace with our Gormak brothers."

"That's the only reason? Not due to lack in advances in technology or a mass extinction or anything like that?"

"Gormak and Voss were at war for centuries. We had forgotten that we were all Voss."

“Are you finally at peace with each other? I mean you do have two gormak as your body guards.”

"We have reunited as one Voss, again, yes."

“Good timing, I guess, if you really do need the Jedi to help you. Not that I’m doubting your visions.”

"You shouldn't. A Mystic's vision is never wrong." Obi-Wan's interpreter insisted. 

“Never? Like some Jedi visions are wrong, but Voss Mystic visions are _ never _ , like, _ ever _, wrong?”

"Never. Though interpreters can be wrong."

“So if the interpreters are wrong, is everyone basically doomed at that point? And can the one who had the vision not interpret it themselves?”

"We would just be under prepared for the foreseen event." Obi-Wan said, "and we could but we have other responsibilities such as healing the hurt or sick."

“The ones who have visions aren’t really allowed to interpret, then?”

"We're not, not allowed. It is just not the way we do things."

“Sounds odd, but I guess if it works, I’m not one to judge. So how often do these groundbreaking visions appear? Big ones, like the one you had.”

"Less now after Voss and Gormak found peace. It has been a very long time."

“Has your vision been the only one warning of danger recently?”

"Mystics do not share the exact same visions."

Anakin sighed and rolled his head back against the top of the booth. “You guys are almost impossible to talk to…”

"We speak basic." Obi-Wan protested. 

“Yes, I know. I wouldn’t be able to talk to you physically if you didn’t. I meant that you guys talk in circles or riddles or… whatever.”

Obi-Wan tilted his head, "You don't like the way we speak."

“No, I didn’t mean it that way. I just meant that it’s different…”

"Is different bad?"

“Not necessarily. Different can be good sometimes, in the right circumstances.”

"Which is the way Voss talks? Good or bad?"

“Well… depends on the topic of the conversation I guess. I suppose it would be wise of me to learn a bit of how you speak through poetry or singing.” Anakin sat up straight as their drinks were brought to the table.

"Maybe I'll share some with you sometime." Obi-Wan said.

“That’d be nice." Anakin said, smiling again at the omega before he took a drink. 

Obi-Wan's lips twitched up before he picked up his glass and took a sip.

Their food came not much longer after; presentation matching pictures in the menus. Anakin looked over his burger with a smile. “Probably not the best breakfast food, but hey, it’s pretty damn tasty if I do say so myself.”

"Mine was marked as breakfast." Obi-Wan said looking over his stack of flat cakes. 

“Mine definitely wasn’t, but a burger for breakfast can’t hurt every once in a while.”

Obi-Wan used the fork to cut a bite sized piece from his stack, dipping it into the syrup on the side before popping it into his mouth. 

Anakin watched the others eat as he started eating as well. He hoped they found their dishes to their liking. “So?" he said after swallowing his first bite. “Do you guys like it?”

"It is adequate flavor." One of the Gormak said.

“Rak-Ta is saying he really enjoys it.” Obi-Wan helpfully translated. “As do I.”

“Good." Anakin said with a smile, then took another bite of his burger. “No other restaurant’s food on this planet can compare to this.” 

“Shame.” Obi-Wan said before taking another bite.

The blond tilted his head slightly, but he kept quiet and continued to eat. “Would you guys like to see the senate building next? I’m good friends with one of the senators, maybe she’s planet side today.”

“You mentioned this Senate before. Our records claim that that is what you call your group in charge, correct?” the omega questioned.

“Yeah, the senate basically runs the galaxy. There’s all these senators and representatives from each planet, then you’ve got the supreme chancellor that’s the head of the senate. The chancellor usually makes the final decisions on most issues.”

“Much trust is put upon this one indivigual. Voss have The Three who govern our planet. One representative from each Voss kind. Voss, Gormak, and Little Voss. They must all be in agreement when passing policy.”

"Sounds like a little version of the senate. Except for the all agreeing part. Getting all the senators and representatives to agree on one thing is damn near impossible."

“Seems the Stars are too big a place to rely on one overseeing group.” Obi-Wan pointed out.

"It can feel like that sometimes, yeah. Maybe if like sections of the galaxy were governed individually instead of the whole galaxy under the law of one."

“Perhaps.” Obi-Wan’s gaze fell to Anakin’s plate and he shifted forward, “May I try one of those things?” he asked, pointing at the pile of fries on his plate, ignoring the surprised look his three companions gave him at the request.

"What, a fry? Yeah sure, help yourself." Anakin pushed his plate closer to Obi-Wan so he could reach.

Obi-Wan took one of the longer fries off the top, dipping it in the condiment he’d seen Anakin dip into before taking a bite and sitting back, chewing it with his eyes gently closed.

Anakin chuckled. "Taste good?"

“Amazing.” Obi-Wan hummed.

"You can have more if you want. My burger is pretty good sized."

“You don’t mind? It is your meal.” Obi-Wan said, his eyes flying open to look at the alpha Jedi.

"No, I don't mind. Take more if you're hungry." Anakin smiled at the wide eyed omega, making a mental note of how cute he looked when he got the Voss equivalent of excited.

“Thank you.” Obi-Wan transferred a portion of the fries onto his plate before reaching for the condiment bottle that matched the pool Anakin had on his plate.

"Maybe you should get a giant plate of fries next time we come here." Anakin had to chuckle again as he ate more of his meal.

“With any luck your Outsider Council will give us their answer and we will depart quickly.” Nodin-Va stated flatly, watching the Mystic and Jedi.

"Well, sounds like someone got a bad meal." Anakin smirked, keeping his eyes on his plate.

“Nodin-Va does not approve of my actions with you, Outsider.” Obi-Wan shrugged, enjoying his plate of food.

"What, the harmless flirting that happens between unbonded alphas and omegas? Mr. Grumpy pants needs to calm down a bit."

“There are plenty of Voss suiters to choose from. Outsiders are not needed. You are clearly a distraction for our Mystic.” Nodin-Va snapped, or as close to snapped as such an emotionless person could express.

"And who said your little Mystic here is interested in another Voss? Maybe he wants someone a little more… exotic."

“Do not mistake flirting for interest. Mystic Obi-Wan is known for flirting, but he never chooses a husband or wife.”

Anakin shrugged. "Whatever you say. Just know that when the right alpha comes along, he'll be choosing the alpha pretty quickly."

“He could choose Voss, Gormak, or Little Voss alpha. His body is compatible with them all, not just alpha.” Rak-Ta growled.

Anakin resisted the urge to growl back. "Alright, don't get your panties bunched up. I'm just saying that he is an omega, and most omegas take alphas as mates."

“You speak of Outsider omegas. Not Little Voss omegas.”

"How is he any different from other human omegas? Besides the obvious lack of showing emotion."

“He is not human, he is Voss. His father was Voss, mother is Little Voss. He is not an Outsider.”

Anakin looked back at Obi-Wan. "This guy really is determined to keep you single the rest of your life."

“Nodin-Va actually encourages me to choose.” Obi-Wan said calmly, picking up a fry from his plate, “He just does not approve of you.”

"Let me guess, because I'm an outsider?"

“Quite obviously.” He nodded.

Anakin shrugged. "Well, maybe he just needs to get to know me better. I have a feeling I'll be going with you guys back to Voss."

“Being on Voss does not make you Voss.” Nodin-Va practically huffed, if huffing was something the Voss were capable off.

But Obi-Wan had a soft look in his eyes as he looked at Anakin, “I know you do.”

"The council's initial decision might be for me to visit Voss and send in a report before they decide on if they want to send more Jedi. Either way, I'm a somewhat familiar face to you now, so it makes sense for me to go with you." Anakin's eyes locked onto Obi-Wan's as he spoke.

The omega hummed, cutting the remaining sliver of flat cake in half to eat.

Anakin kept his gaze on the redhead for a bit before he realized that the other three Voss were staring at him. He sighed and went back to eating his meal.

When they were all finished, Anakin paid and barked out a short greeting to the diner owner before they left the building. Outside the air was filled with noisy speeders and star ships that rushed by. Any time of day, it was always this busy. Anakin was glad his room in the temple had walls that were mostly soundproof.

"Alright, to the senate building then? I'll call my friend real quick and see if she's here." Anakin announced.

Obi-Wan nodded as he was helped back into the speeder and settled in as his companions climbed in the back.

Anakin made the quick call, but his call was interrupted by another from the council. He sighed and answered. "Made a decision yet?"

"Yes." Windu responded. "Return as soon as you can."

"Got it " Anakin put away his holocommunicator and turned back to the Voss group. "Okay, change of plans; we're going back to the temple."

* * *

To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2

“You have reached a decision on if you will help Voss or not?” Obi-Wan asked calmly, standing in the center of the circle with his companions as he looked over the Jedi Council members.

“We’ve come to a temporary decision that will help until we make a final decision." Windu informed the omega. “We are choosing to send you back home, at your convenience, with Knight Skywalker. We’d like to get to know Voss a little more before we decide to help with this impending Sith attack you allege will happen. It’s nothing against you or your visions, we just had no recorded information on Voss, and we think it’s time to get solid information recorded.”

“The attack will happen. Mystic Obi-Wan has foreseen it. Do not take too long deciding if you will help Voss or not. Voss needs to know how to prepare should we not gain this alliance with Jedi Outsiders.” Nodin-Va stated.

“We believe the people of Voss put much faith into the words of your Mystics, but in the Jedi Order’s experience, visions hardly come to pass accurately. This is why we are sending one of our knights with you in order to gain a better understanding of your ways.” Mace insisted.

“We will depart again after our Mystic’s impending heat. It would not do for an outsider alpha to be on the ship when he goes into heat.”

“I may be an alpha, but I know how to respect an omega in heat.” Anakin sighed. “But that should give me plenty of time to get a new ship for us. As much as I’d like to work on that old ship, it won’t be ready for us by the time we need to leave.”

“We can get clearance for you to use a republic cruiser for your trip to Voss," Windu said as he sat back in his chair, “It would be a more comfortable trip than any of the Order’s ships.”

“We will leave travel plans to you, then.” Obi-Wan stated.

Windu nodded, as did Anakin. “We will continue to discuss throughout the day. When we reach a final decision, we will notify you." the master said. “Until then, you have Skywalker.”

“Nodin-Va will speak in my stead should I be unable to, should you call for us again before we depart.” Obi-Wan stated, gesturing to his Voss companion.

Windu nodded once again. “For now you are dismissed then. Keep a com unit handy.”

The five left the council chambers again, now having more of a solid plan for the future. “Well, I called that one." Anakin said with a smile. “Anyways, if you’re still up for the senate building tour, I’d be more than happy to take you.”

Obi-Wan nodded, “I’d like to see it.”

“Away we go then.”

The rest of the day was filled with tours of the senate building as well as other important buildings on Coruscant. Eventually the sun began to set, lighting up the city in a sort of mystical way that was hard to find outside of an  ecumenopolis. As the sun set, lights inside the buildings began to light up the skyline, adding to the mystical appearance. The air traffic didn’t seem to subside any, however, only reminding Anakin that Coruscant was truly a city that never slept.

The Jedi bought their speeder back to the temple with skill that showed he had been an expert pilot for many years. Once they had parked, Anakin got out, resisting the urge to help Obi-Wan out, not wanting to upset the omega’s guards any more than he already had with his little bits of flirting throughout the day. He had to admit that was a small victory. He obviously had no chance with Obi-Wan, not while his bodyguards were around—which was all the time, so despite his wins of flirting, he decided he should just let it go and not worry about trying to impress the redhead. He had enough to do with his daily life anyways; he could live without caring for an omega.

Anakin escorted his tour group back to the omega embassy once more, yawning a couple times on the way. He had to remind himself to get more sleep that night, since he had stayed up late tinkering with droid parts and keeping his mind focused on things other than his alpha instincts.

“Well, contact me if you guys need anything." he said as they approached the doors, keeping his distance from the guards. “If you want to go anywhere tomorrow, just let me know, and I’ll be your chaperone.”

“How do we contact you if we need anything?” Obi-Wan asked, glancing over at Anakin as he slowed his pace slightly.

“I’ll give you my private com frequency.” Anakin took his com out and cautiously stepped forward to show the redhead his frequency. “Anything you need, any time at all… give me a call.”

“Is there a communication device provided in one of our rooms?”

“Yeah, there should be a holoterminal in each room. Standard omega necessity and it’s required by law.”

Obi-Wan nodded, “I’ll see if one of the guards will show us how to use it.”

“They’re here to help. I’m sure they will have no problem showing you.” Anakin let his gaze wander a bit over the redhead, reminding himself that he decided to give up on the flirting.

“Goodnight, Jedi Outsider.” Obi-Wan said before letting his companions sweep him away past the guards and into the place Anakin could not follow.

“Night…” Anakin stood there for a bit, watching, until he couldn’t see the group anymore, He sighed and turned on his heel, heading back to the elevator so he could head to his room for the night.

“Anakin? You look...tired.” The voice of Anakin’s former master caught his attention half way down the hall on the floor his room was on.

The blond looked up at the taller alpha, Qui-Gon. His kind face was soft with a hint of concern. Always the one to worry about his little alpha padawan. Anakin smiled as a greeting. “Good evening, Master. Just had a long day of being a chaperone, that’s all.”

“I saw you walking around with those…” He paused, trying to think of what they were, “I’m afraid I can’t place the three tall ones. Are you being assigned a diplomatic mission? That’s rare seeing as you always struggle quite spectacularly with such things.”

“Well apparently the council thought it would be a good idea to send me off on a mission by myself.” Anakin shrugged. “I think I can handle it. We’re exploring a new planet, a couple new races, and a history that’s buried deep and hardly documented. Should be exciting, to say the least.” Anakin smiled, his thoughts going towards the omega that had come from Voss.

“I see, and whats with the little Omega that was with them? Part of the welcoming party?”

“He’s also from Voss, the new planet, also the name of the race the tall blue guy is. Some humans settled on Voss back during the Old Republic and never left, they adapted to culture, and eventually became Voss themselves. They call themselves little Voss. Voss don’t have natures like humans and some other races do, neither do the Gormak, the two others with the omega. They don’t like me too much.”

“Ah, so I take it, the omega isn’t a peace offering. That’s good. Some planets do still treat omegas as property to be given away — though even the best worlds still could use work on omega rights. Still strange why they’d bring one.”

“He’s what’s called a Mystic. On Voss, Mystics have visions that are kind of like the ones we have, except their visions always come true. He had a vision, and… apparently the Sith are coming back soon.”

“The Sith? But they have been gone far longer than a realistic chance at coming back.”

“I know, but the more I hear about this vision, the more I’m starting to believe it. The council is sending me to Voss to get data on the planet while they decide whether to help Voss or ignore the vision.”

“They are  _ considering  _ the plea for help?” Qui-Gon asked, surprised.

“Yeah, sounds stupid, but I don’t think they all believe that the vision is true yet.” Anakin shrugged.

“You know my stance on visions. But this is a planet that has reached out for help. It is the Order’s duty to help any who ask for it.”

“They don’t think that, I guess. Either way though, I intend to help the Voss when I go to their home. It’s the least I can do until the council makes a decision.”

Qui-Gon hummed and nodded, “Just be careful. If we know nothing of this planet, then it could be risky. Especially if you’re being sent alone.”

“I know, Master." Anakin said with a smile. “And don’t worry, I’ll control myself around the omega." he said with a chuckle.

“That I have no doubt. I was the one to raise you through your early presenting years, after all.”

“You taught me well to behave. Besides, even if I tried anything with that omega, I’d have six fists flying at me. I’d rather not deal with angry Voss.”

“They are quite large, aren’t they. Even compared to me.” Qui-Gon chuckled.

“They’re pretty grumpy, especially when I talk to their omega. I told them it was harmless but I don’t think they believed me.”

“Well, every planet I have come across have been protective of their omegan population, regardless of what level of omega rights they have implemented.”

“I know. No harm in a little fun though, right? He never said he didn’t like it, plus he joked around a little with me.”

Qui-Gon raised a brow, “Do you like this omega from Voss?”

“He’s the cutest omega I’ve ever seen! What alpha wouldn’t like him?”

The taller alpha gave a knowing smile, “There are no rules against an alpha Jedi taking an Omega. But taking one from a planet like Voss, well, make sure you learn their customs before you make a move, should you decide to.”

“Of course. I’m still a proper alpha. I wouldn’t disrespect both the omega and the omega’s home planet.”

“Well, I suggest you take your mask with you in case this omega goes into heat. Wouldn’t want your instincts to take over reason on you.”

“He’s due for a heat soon. We’re staying here until that’s over, then we’re leaving.”

“Still be sure to take it. Space travel can mess with an omega’s cycle if they are not used to it. He may find himself thrown into a second one during the trip.”

“You think a second one could happen that soon?”

“It is very possible. If he’s lucky, he’ll continue to be unaffected, but you should be prepared just in case. I’m sure his companions would appreciate you taking steps to not touch their omega...Mystic, was it?”

Anakin nodded. “I’ll take my mask. The council is gonna try to get us a cruiser to take back to Voss. That ship they came on is a piece of junk. But I’ll make sure my quarters are on the opposite side of his.”

“Good. Take this slow if you’re going to try.” he nodded.

“I will. I don’t know how far I’ll get, but I mean if I can at least just help him out a little…” Anakin shook his head, ridding his mind of his thoughts. “One step at a time.”

“Indeed. And remember you can contact me at any time. I’m on a mission break, so I’ll be available should you need to call.”

Anakin smiled. “Thanks, Master. I’ll call if the trip to Voss gets too boring.”

“I imagine you’ll be calling a lot, then. The Stars lack much, including warmth.” a now familiar, soft voice spoke from behind Anakin.

The blond turned his head to see Obi-Wan standing behind him. “Obi-Wan… It’s odd to see you without your body guards, to be completely honest.”

“They think I’ve settled down in my room for the night. I managed to slip out without their knowing.” He stated before glancing at Qui-Gon, taking him in before focusing on Anakin again, “Walk with me?”

“Uh, yeah, sure.” Anakin looked back at his old master. “I’ll talk to you later.” He returned his gaze to Obi-Wan and stepped up beside him as they walked away.

“You lead the way, I barely managed to find you after I got out from under my protector’s watchful eyes. Luckily, an Outsider pointed me to where the Jedi alpha rooms are.” Obi-Wan said, walking a little slower. He didn’t seem out of breath, but his slower pace hinted that he’d been running most of the way, and perhaps wasn’t used to it.

"I know of a place that's rather quiet. It's like a park inside the temple." Anakin led Obi-Wan towards the elevator, exiting the alpha embassy through large durasteel doors, almost complete opposite from the delicate transparasteel doors of the omega embassy. "So, didn't want to settle down for the night quite yet?"

“I wished to speak with you without the judgment of my fellow Voss.” he stated.

"Do they think omegas aren't strong or something?" Anakin chuckled lightly, though he knew that was something that was no laughing matter.

“Voss see no difference between omega, alpha, beta, or non-secondary genders. They protect because I am a Mystic. There are fewer of us Mystics in Voss’ modern times than there were long ago. Voss society relies on Mystic Visions, so each Mystic is precious.”

"Are you the only hum—little Voss Mystic?"

“No, there are a few others. Though I am the youngest. The others have already chosen husband and wives, as well.” He glanced over at Anakin, “Only omega Little Voss can become mystics. Beta and alpha visions are not reliable, though they are not banned from the trials should they wish to take them. Gormak also tend not to have visions. So all our Mystics are usually omegas and Voss.”

"So you Mystics are kind of a big deal then. Sounds like not many Voss become Mystics, even back in the Old Republic."

“There were more back then, but still they made up a small count compared to all of Voss’ population. Throughout Voss history, Mystics are revered and held to the highest esteem. It was a great honor when I took my pilgrimage and passed the Mystic Trials.”

"When did you take your pilgrimage?"

"Right after my first heat, when I was fifteen."

“And how long ago was that?”

"Six years ago."

“Wait, so you’re twenty-one? I’m also twenty-one.” Anakin smiled at the redhead.

"I am, yes. Is being the same age important here?"

“No, I just thought it was cool we are the same age.” Anakin cleared his throat. “So uh, about at the diner earlier. I know I made your guards and interpreter upset with the little bits of flirting. I hope I wasn’t making you uncomfortable.”

"They were more upset about my flirting with you—and then how you'd flirt back."

“So they don’t like you flirting with a strange Jedi you’ve only just met yesterday. Totally not overreacting." Anakin joked.

"They don't know how long I've known you."

Anakin blinked. “Uh, like just over a day? That’s the same amount of time they’ve known me too, so…”

"I knew you the moment I stepped off the ship and saw you waiting. I knew that you at least would come help Voss. I’ve seen you on Voss even before I was a Mystic.”

"Okay… a little odd, but I'll roll with it. How did you know about me before you met me? Before you even became a mystic? I mean there's talk of me being some 'chosen one'."

“I don’t know about a ‘chosen one’ but I know your smile. A calm in the midst of a war, sun in gold curls, gentle reassurances. A Mystic’s vision is never wrong, not even if it comes before the trials.”

"You had a vision about me?" Anakin pulled Obi-Wan to a stop. "How long ago did you have that vision?"

“First time was during my first heat—I get visions frequently during some heats, though they grow fuzzy quickly. But it reacurred a few times after, and again a few years later. I’ve seen your face enough times to notice little details that tell a story of mutual attraction.”

At that Anakin flushed a little. "You… you're attracted to me? Not to tear you down, but isn't it a bit soon to be saying stuff like that? I mean, we've only known each other physically for a day." 

He paused. "Then again, I did mention something earlier about the right alpha coming along…"

“I have not handed any interpreter the details of this vision. It felt—personal.” Obi-Wan stated, “So the interpretation is my own, and not one of someone with training and experience. My interpretation may be wrong, but I’m prepared for that chance.”

"So… you're saying you're definitely attracted to me, right? Am I getting that right?"

“I am," he nodded, giving him a warm, genuine smile, “and I have turned down many suitors in anticipation of meeting you first.”

"Wow…" Anakin took a step back as he rubbed his face. "Here I was about to give up on my flirting because I knew your bodyguards would be upset if I tried anything other than flirting."

“They will not allow you to touch me, but that is why I snuck away tonight.” Obi-Wan reached a hand up, brushing his fingertips over Anakin’s jaw and up his cheek.

"Let's… get to that park area I was telling you about. More private there." Anakin grabbed Obi-Wan's wrist and pulled him along.

When they finally arrived at their destination, Anakin dropped Obi-Wan's wrist and pulled open the wooden doors. A cooler breeze hit their faces as they entered. Bugs chirped softly and soft light seemed to glow from no visible source. Anakin smiled at the quietness of the large room.

Obi-Wan stepped inside, closing his eyes and enjoying the feel of the floral air. “This place feels more alive than the entire rest of this planet.”

"There are very few places like this on Coruscant. Us Jedi are lucky to have one all to ourselves." Anakin looked down at Obi-Wan as the doors closed behind him. "There might be others in here, but there's a corner where hardly anyone goes. We have to climb through plants though. Up for that?"”

“Is it difficult to climb?”

"Not at all. Come on." Once again Anakin grabbed Obi-Wan's wrist and pulled him along the marked path until they got to one corner of the room. He pushed back some of the bushes and motioned for the redhead to crawl past

Hiking up his robes, Obi-Wan pushed forward under the bush.

Anakin kept his thoughts in check as he followed, pushing back plants as needed. They finally reached the rounded corner of the room, padded nicely with grasses and softer bushes. The perfect hiding spot away from anyone else that might be in the room. 

Settling down on the grass, Anakin sighed, a smile on his lips. "It always feels so nice in this spot."

“Do you hide here often?” Obi-Wan asked, kneeling next to him, the way he did when he meditated.

"I did when I was younger and I didn't want to do my studies. Now I just come here sometimes to escape the noise."

“Noise? Your temple is pretty quiet compared to outside it.”

Anakin shrugged. "Gets noisy sometimes…"

“I normally stay within the  Shrine of Healing. It is very quiet in most places.” Obi-Wan said, looking up and blinking at a bug that flew past lazilly with a slow, blinking glow. “Venturing outside it is not something Mystics often get to do. Taking to the stars...unimaginable before my vision of the Sith was interpreted and the historians looked up what we knew on the Sith—and Jedi.”

"Well, I guess you're getting a special experience then." Anakin looked over at Obi-Wan. "You're really attracted to me? I mean, because… well, I think you're pretty cute, actually…"

“I wouldn’t be here with you now if I didn’t find you attractive. I’m more surprised you’re here with me as you find me odd. I thought maybe it’d take longer for you to really look at me.”

"To be fair, you're a really attractive omega. Besides, you're a lot more relaxed when you're not around the other Voss."

“I have the duty of a Mystic, usually, but now...now I can relax.”

"So you're not all serious and emotionless all the time. That's good to know."

“I am mostly Little Voss. Little Voss have a tendency to be a little more loose with emotions. Something we get from our once-Outsider ancestors.”

"At least you're a bit more expressive than the actual Voss. I swear talking to them is going to drive me insane."

“Voss likes to remain calm, Gormak show anger easily, Little Voss...are more openly emotional, though we learn to control it.”

"Why control it? That sounds almost wrong coming from me, a Jedi, but seriously, why put control on your emotions when you can express them fully? It's not good to hold in your emotions or just ignore them all together." Anakin sighed, sounding distant as if he was remembering something—someone.

“It is the Voss way, and it—” Obi-Wan looked down, passing his fingers over the frilly leaf of a fern growing next to him, “There is an evil on Voss—dorment now, but it grows stronger with war and fighting and—it’s good to keep it harmless.”

“What do you mean evil? Like, a monster or something?”

“No, but it can twist animals into monstrous beings, and drive the mind mad.”

“Sounds like something out of a horror holodrama. You think… when the Sith return, that they can use that evil against Voss?”

“If they discover it.” Obi-Wan nodded.

Anakin nodded. “So we definitely need to do something to prepare Voss for the Sith. Otherwise, the whole galaxy is in danger.”

“Yes, that is why we came for help. Our goal is to save Voss, but if Voss falls and it’s darkest secret is unleashed...it won’t be just Voss that suffers. Voss will only be the first to suffer.”

Shifting, Anakin sighed again. “The council is going to take their time with their decision. Not all of them believe that everyone is in danger yet, and you’re not going to get the help you need before the Sith come. I’m gonna do all I can to help Voss prepare… but I have a sinking feeling that we won’t be prepared in time.”

“My visions do show war comes to Voss. It is ending it quickly that we are preparing for. We know we can not stop it from happening completely.”

“Stopping a war quickly is no easy task. It’s going to take a lot of preparation to be even remotely ready to end the war.”

“Voss has done more before. Long ago Sith attacked, the attack was foreseen, and we were ready. They did not get to even touch down upon Voss. We can end this Sith threat quickly if we get the help we need.”

“Man, if only the rest of the galaxy was as prepared as Voss could be.” Anakin looked up at a few bugs flying by. “If only the council could see reason…”

“Voss does not expect the Jedi to understand. They had always doubted Mystic visions before, and disapproved of Voss philosophy to do whatever was needed for the good of Voss.”

“So why did you come to us if you knew that we wouldn’t make a good decision right from the start?”

“Because the enemy of our enemy are an ally.”

“Seems fruitless when we can’t make a quick decision to help a planet clearly in need.”

“We can only hope they will help Voss.” Obi-Wan murmured. 

"If they won't, I at least will."

“I know, I’ve seen you on Voss.” Obi-Wan reminded with a small smile.

Anakin managed a smile back. "So in your vision of me… were we, like, together? In a relationship?"

“All I know is that you felt...familiar. More familiar than just an Outsider visiting Voss.”

"What all happened in the vision, if that's not too personal to ask."

“It was…” Obi-Wan thought back, speaking slowly as he recalled details, “...a moment of peace amongst chaos. I sit upon a grassy hill, worried. But you’re there, smiling at me, sitting with me and taking my hand, telling me we’re safe, that things will be okay as you lean in close.”

Anakin nodded, going over what his version of the vision was in his head. “So maybe some sort of relationship is there.”

“Possibly. We won’t know until we see how things develop before the point of my vision.”

“Right, of course. Shouldn’t jump headfirst into a relationship that might not even exist in your vision.” Anakin shifted awkwardly.

“Is something wrong, Anakin Skywalker?”

Anakin snapped his gaze back to Obi-Wan. “No, no! Nothing’s wrong, I just… I don’t know, actually. This whole deal of you being attracted to me and me to you, and this vision and a possible relationship that might not even be there…” He sighed. “I haven’t been close to much of anyone since I left my mother to come be a Jedi. I was taken as a padawan a lot later than others are. Most Jedi spend their whole lives in the temples, growing up with the Jedi customs and behaviors. I grew up with my mom around until I was ten, and after that… I didn’t see her again until a few years ago, and I found her dead, buried in her grave back home. I… I never got to say goodbye really.”

“She wasn’t able to visit you?” Obi-Wan asked.

“We were slaves. She was still a slave when I left to become a Jedi.”

“I do not know the meaning of that word.” Obi-Wan admitted.

“Slaves? Slaves are people who are owned and sold by other people. It’s a disgusting life, and it’s not one I would wish on anyone, even my enemies.”

“I...don’t understand. How can someone be owned by another someone as if they were a...pair of boots or a robe for trade?”

“Slaves are used for work or…relationships, if you could call them that. It was easy for my mom to be a slave, since she was an omega, and since I hadn’t presented yet, I was kept with her. There’s a lot of omegas who are slaves, and most of them are sold to fat, rich alphas who just wanted a pretty thing to look at and have sex with. Nothing but expensive pretty objects to them.”

Obi-Wan gave a horrified look.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. There’s no slavery here on Coruscant, you’re safe.”

“Who would agree to being a slave? It—it sounds horrifying.”

Anakin gently placed a hand on the redhead’s shoulder, turning him slightly. “No one agrees to being a slave, Obi-Wan…”

“But if no one agrees to it then it’s forced and...that has to be a crime.”

“It is, in most parts of the galaxy. But in the Outer Rim, where my mom and I were, slavery is legal probably has some of the worst conditions. Mom and I were lucky we were provided with a living space separate from our owner. He wasn’t human anyways, and I’m pretty sure he didn’t have a second gender. Just a regular guy selling ship parts.”

“Such things should never be legal. Even a potential Mystic must agree to take the trial, despite Mystic numbers being so low.”

“Unfortunately most of the planets in the Outer Rim aren’t represented in the senate, so the senate turns a blind eye to them. No representative, no seat in the senate.”

“It’s not right. Voss or Outsider; all should have the freedom to choose.”

"I agree, but getting slavery to be abolished galaxy wide is harder than it sounds."

“”They should still try.”

"Good luck trying to convince the whole senate to try. Some of those senators own their own slaves."

“But, you said it was safe here? And your senate friend, Outsider Padmé Amidala, doesn’t...right?”

“It is safe here. Those senators behave when they’re here. And no, my friend doesn’t have any slaves. She despises the idea as much as I do.”

Obi-Wan sucked in a breath and held it to help keep himself calm, his head falling forward to rest on Anakin’s shoulder a long silent moment before he let out his breath again with a single word, “Okay…”

Anakin wrapped an arm around Obi-Wan’s shoulders. “Don’t worry, I won’t let anyone touch you, other than your bodyguards of course… They won’t know about your vision now, will they? I really don’t want to butt heads with one of those guys.”

“Gormak take their jobs seriously. Most of them take on protecting and hunting positions in society because they are good at such things. I’m sure if you anger them, they could break you like a twig.” Obi-Wan muttered, clearly just looking to steer the conversation away from the upsetting news that slavery was a thing that exists in some areas of the galaxy.

Anakin leaned his head down against Obi-Wan’s, pulling him closer and crooning a little to soothe the distressed omega. “Good to keep in mind. I’ll make sure not to flirt with you around them.”

Pale fingers curled to grip into Anakin’s dark tunic as the omega took slow, deep breaths. “The stars, it seems, holds some dark secrets. Maybe that is why it is best for Voss to stay on Voss.”

“The galaxy isn’t the nicest place to live, no, but, if I were to have an opinion, having someone to come home to, someone to hold when times get tough, makes living a lot easier.” Anakin dared to nuzzled Obi-Wan’s hair a little, his crooning increasing in volume.

“Mystics rarely leave the Shrine of Healing, our families come to us to visit.”

“Do you have a family?”

“Just my mother. My father was a Voss Mystic who is no longer in body. He is now a spirit tied to the shrine for guidance to all future Mystics.”

“What’s your mother like? Is she nice?”

“She is soft, affectionate, but in the Voss way, and lovely. She is proud that I became a Mystic, though she does not get to visit much.”

“I bet she’s lovely to talk to. Most moms are.”

“I miss when I lived with her, before I became a Mystic. Every night we would curl up together with a soft blanket and just take turns reading to each other.”

“I did something similar with my mom when I was growing up. She’d teach me how to read in the late hours of the day after we were dismissed to our home. I’d fall asleep pretty quickly though.”

“What was she like?”

“Gentle, quiet, but so loving. She went out of her way for kindness.”

“Was she proud you became a Jedi?”

"I think so. She encouraged me to go live a life of freedom, even though I didn't want to leave her."

“Are you happy being a Jedi, then?”

Anakin hesitated before answering. "Yeah, of course. I'm not a slave anymore, of course I'd be happy."

“You don’t sound like you’re sure on that. Part of freedom is the ability to choose what you do with your life.You don’t have to choose the first option presented to you.”

"Becoming a Jedi gave me freedom. It was my first step of freedom… the next step seems to elude me though."

“I’m sure you have considered all the options, whatever they may be, available for you here with the Jedi, but maybe you also need to consider more options away from the Jedi before you can know what that next step is. It could be staying here, or it could be something else. You do not know unless you look at a broader selection of options.”

"When I started presenting as an alpha, I would always fantasise about finding an omega, settling down, having a family. Of course I had the mind of a teenager, so my mind was set mostly on omegas, but I asked myself at one point if that was my next step. I never asked again, and neither did I get an answer." Anakin shrugged and pulled his arm away from Obi-Wan, swinging his arms back and falling down to the grass. He looked up at the tall ceiling and sighed. "I wish my mom could have seen the alpha I grew into…"

“If I know anything of mothers, it is that they wish their children happiness. As long as you can find that, your mother will be proud. Remember that as you consider your future.”

"You have visions, and you give life advice. I'm surprised you're not a shaman or something." Anakin chuckled as he glanced up at Obi-Wan.o

“The advice is just my sharing an opinion. It’s not what Mystics tend to do.”

"It's attractive."

“What is?” Obi-Wan asked, allowing his face to show his confusion.

"You, an omega, giving your own opinions."

“Is that...different?”

"Well, kinda. Most omegas keep quiet behind their alphas or behind society."

“I see I would not fit in up here among the stars, it seems.”

"In some places. Some alphas love when their omegas give their voices about certain topics."

“And you would be that kind of alpha?”

Anakin smiled. "You would be correct."

Obi-Wan didn’t speak, simply looking over Anakin’s face, searching his eyes before he shifted to lay down next to him, placing his head upon his arm.

Anakin shifted so that Obi-Wan was closer to him. He couldn't help but mentally note how small the omega was. He took in a deep breath, the sweet floral scent of the omega filling his nostrils. He let out that breath and closed his eyes.

“Is my scent too strong for you right now?” Obi-Wan asked, noting his sigh that had let out the breath.

"No, it's… perfect."

“Just making sure—I am in preheat, and I’ve heard that preheat scent can start to get overwhelming for an alpha. Not as much as actual heat, but…”

"I've been around plenty of omegas in heat in my time as a Jedi. My master taught me to be respectful as well, even if one approached me and wanted me to… well, you know."

“Become their husband?”

"Uh, well, not quite that. When they approach and want me to accompany them for their heat, just to relieve themselves."

“I don’t understand. Why share a heat cycle with an alpha they are not married to?”

"Temporary relief from their heats? I can't speak for them and why they would take a random alpha for one heat."

“I would not like to do that. Heats are not fun, I know, and I get sore from trying to make myself feel...fulfilled and stated, but I wouldn’t want anyone to touch me unless they were  _ my  _ alpha.”

"I guess some are more desperate than others."

“Have you ever...helped one of them?”

"No, I've kept to myself, no matter how many omegas have come up to me."

“Well, I can hardly blame them for asking if that’s something they are comfortable with—you are a very beautiful alpha.”

Anakin chuckled. "I do hear that a lot, but thank you. Means a lot."

“I shouldn’t be surprised I’m not the first to notice or tell you.”

"Are you surprised?"

“No, but also yes. It is the best word to describe it, I suppose.”

"You don't spend a lot of time around non-Voss alphas and omegas, so I can get where you're coming from."

Obi-Wan hummed in agreement, “In fact, you are the first non-Voss alpha I have spent time with.”

"I kind of figured. I'm not too different from your Voss alphas, am I?".”

“Actually, you are.”

"Let me guess, I show more emotion than them?".”

“That too. But you also flirt openly, and seem to actually see the  _ me  _ behind the Mystic title I hold.”

"Does that bother you?".”

“Far from it. I like being a Mystic, but that isn’t what I’d want my alpha to see when looking at me. To whichever alpha I choose, I’d want them to see me as just their omega.”

"Well I don't see omegas as just omegas. I'm not that kind of alpha. I see the omega as a person, someone with personality and emotions. Not just some sex obsessed beast."

“Sex-obsessed beast?” Obi-Wan shook his head, “But the other part of what you said—I think that’s what I mean. My alpha...I want them to look at me as their omega and not see a Mystic, but see— _ me. _ My Alpha would know me but I’ll be their omega, not their Mystic.”

Anakin nodded. "Having an omega of my own… honestly it's the ultimate dream. I'm sure any alpha would say that, but I feel like it's especially a nice dream for an alpha Jedi such as myself."

“Why is that?”

"Jedi get busy, get lost in the mission and forget how to live normal lives sometimes. I think having an omega would keep me grounded, remind me there's more to life than war and helping people with their planetary issues."

“Do a Jedi’s omega move into the temple with them, or do they go live with their omega?”

"Usually the omega moves in. It's safer here than what it might be outside the temple. But really it depends on what the couple wants."

“So there is a choice. That’s good.”

"Yep. If the alpha allows it anyways. Some are more possessive than others."

“But—it should be a choice the couple makes together.” the omega sighed.

"It would be with me. Relationships are about equality, even between an alpha and an omega."

“Are you sure about that, or are you just saying what I’d like to hear you say should we try a relationship seriously?”

"I've been a slave." Anakin reminded. "I want equality for everyone."

“I’m glad—not for the slave part, but for the truth of how you feel.”

"In my spare time I've been trying to push for equal rights for slaves and omegas, alongside tinkering with droids and ship parts."

“Dorids? Those little metal creatures that roll around? There were some on voss after the last time Outsiders came, but they have all stopped moving.”

"You have droids on Voss?" Anakin's question sounded excited. "I could see if I can get them working again. I'm sure they'll need a lot of maintenance."

“Yes, there used to be tons of them rolling around the temple, cleaning the floors, and doing other things. But only one was left when I became a mystic. I enjoyed his company when he was in the same chamber as me...I called him Basil, and he’d beep happily and spin around like he was dancing. He hasn’t moved in a few years, though.”

"Well, sounds like I need to revive him. Must have been a good companion."

“He was a friend. I—I have him tucked away in my private rooms.”

"Then as soon as we get to Voss, I'll see what I can do to fix up your friend Basil for you. I'll make him look brand new too."

“You can do that? Fix him?”

"Yeah, I fix ships and droids all the time. As long as I have the correct parts, I can fix him up easily. What kind of droid is he?"

“A...little one?”

"Little? What does he look like?"

“A...rusty box on wheels?"

"Box on wheels… sounds like a mouse droid, I think. They haven’t changed too much in design over the years, though the technology has certainly improved. I’ll give him an upgrade.”

Obi-Wan nodded, rolling onto his side and curling up into Anakin’s side, “I’d like to see Basil moving around again.”

“I’d like to meet him. And your mom. See if she approves of me. Have you told her about your vision of me?”

“No, no one knows.”

Anakin smiled. "Does Basil know?"

Obi-Wan’s cheeks flushed, “Yes, he knew.” he whispered.

"Knew it. I wonder if he'll know who I am just by what you've told him."

“I’m not sure.” the Omega yawned.

Anakin brought his hand up to Obi-Wan's hair, fingers running through the soft locks almost fondly. "If you're getting tired, we probably shouldn't stay here for too much longer…"

“Yeah, I’ll need help finding my way back, and I’m sure you’d like to get to your own bed soon, too…”

Anakin shifted so he was propped up on one arm, looking down at Obi-Wan. "I guess I'd like to…"

“Mmm, five minutes more and then we’ll start walking back towards the omega rooms?”

"Five more minutes is dangerous, you know." Anakin smirked, his other hand reaching down slightly to lightly touch Obi-Wan's stomach.

“It’s only five...and once my heat starts, we won’t see each other for a few days...and on the ship my guards will be impossible to ditch.”

"You make a valid point. I suppose five more minutes won't hurt anyone."

“Yeah, just...five.” the omega hummed, closing his eyes and enjoying the alpha’s warmth.

* * *

To be continued...


	3. Chapter 3

"I swear I can smell it coming from over here." Quinlan said as he walked through lush green grasses and bushes. "There's an omega in heat here."

"I can clearly tell that." his companion, another Jedi by the name of Jaob, snapped. "I'm an alpha too."

"Well I called dibs." Quinlan snarked back, following the potent sweet scent that seemed to fill the whole room.

"You can't just call dibs on an omega you don't know. They could be hiding from alphas like you."

Quinlan snorted but didn't respond, focused on finding the omega and hoping they would let him help them through their heat. Eventually he found the spot where the scent was finally getting stronger, and he crawled through the bushes eagerly.

"Quin, you're going to scare the poor thing." Jaob protested, though his mind was not much different than Quinlan's. An omega in heat nearby was always tempting, no matter how respectful the Jedi. 

Soon they came to the source, the omega in heat. Both alphas started down at the curled up redhead, growls coming from their throats as they realized there was already an alpha with the omega, nuzzling the back of the omega's neck. The growling grew louder as the sleeping alpha curled around the omega began to wake up, and soon his own growling was mixed with the others.

Anakin hadn't expected to be woken up by two growling alphas starting down at him. No… at the omega he was protecting. It was at that moment he realized said omega was in heat, and his growling grew more defensive.

Obi-Wan was letting out small whimpers, squirming in discomfort and growing distressed by the sounds of alpha growls breaking through his haze of sleep.

"Look at Skywalker getting ahead of us to claim the new omega for himself." Quinlan said with a deep tone. "Thought you could hide it from us?"

"Mine." Anakin snarled, his alpha instincts kicking in to protect Obi-Wan.

"Share him." Jaob demanded as he took a step forward.

Anakin leapt to his feet and snarled at the other alpha. " _ Mine _ ." he repeated.

Obi-Wan twitched and curled up tighter into a ball, his eyes cracking open to glance up at the three towering alphas. Fear twisted in his gut as he lay helplessly under them.

Quinlan sniffed the air. "Unbonded. You can share him"

Despite being younger than both, Anakin was taller than the other two alphas. He squared his shoulders and stood up straight as Quinlan and Jaob stepped closer until the three were inches away from each other, waiting for the one wrong move to set them off into a fight.

“N-no…” the omega managed to choke out, followed by a louder moan of need that was entirely too involuntary.

Quinlan made the first wrong move, lunging forward as his alpha instincts took over. A distressed omega in heat was on the ground and in need of comfort, what else could he do but approach the omega and help him?

Anakin reacted instantly, shooting a hand out to grab Quinlan and shove him away roughly with a louder snarl. A full on fist fight between the two began, Jaob being smart and knowing he was below the two fighting alphas. He stood back, wide eyed but still growling, as he watched the two alphas fight.

“That is enough!” A calm but firm voice suddenly cut into the scene as Plo pushed his way through the brushes, “You should know better than this. You’re making the Omega from Voss more distressed than he should be.”

The Kel Dor, who did not share the secondary gender quirk the humans and Kiffar had, shuffled past them and knelt beside Obi-Wan, “Shh, it’s okay, I’ll get you back to your room in the Omega Embassy where you’ll be safe and can curl up and do as you need for yourself. I am not an alpha, so do not worry. I will be picking you up.” he explained gently before he reached his clawed hands out to slip then under the redhead’s back and knees to hoist him up. He then looked at the three alphas, “Wait here. I will be back.”

Quinlan and Jaob backed away from Anakin, though they kept low growls in their throats. Anakin managed to stop growling, but his glare at the other two alphas was still strong. All three, however, were in big trouble when the Kel dor got back.

Plo walked away, carefully carrying Obi-Wan through the bushes and taking the quickest route to the Omega Embassy, trying not to get too close to any alphas he passed along the way.

Once he got to the delicate doors leading to the Omega rooms, he paused, looking at the guards, “Which room has been given to the omega from Voss? He had gone into heat and needs to be tucked away from the many unbound alphas in the temple. He’s already been cornered by three.” the well known Jedi Council member spoke, though he knew the guards could already tell the small omega was in heat.

The head guard stepped forward. "Almost to the end of the hall. Voss should be on the door."

Plo nodded, “Thank you. I will hand him over to the care of his companions.” he decided, not wanting to upset the Voss by stepping foot into the Mystic’s room without permission. 

He moved past the guards to the two rooms given to the four visitors while they were on Coruscant, using the Force to ring the call button so as not to jostle the omega in his arms.

All three companions were at the door when the bell rang opening to see who might be visiting. Instantly they were on alert when they realized Obi-Wan was in the Jedi's arms and was in heat. The Voss gingerly took him and rushed him into his room, the door closing behind.

"We did not know he was out." Rak-Ta said. “Where was he?"

“One of the gardens, tucked back in a corner among some flowering bushes. He is unharmed, and the alphas who gathered did not touch him before I managed to get in and slip away with him safely to return him to you.” Plo explained, “I will be dealing with the alphas who had cornered him, however. It is your business so if you would like, one of you may accompany me.”

Rik-Ol stepped forward. "I'll go. I want to give those alphas a piece of my mind."

Plo nodded, “Let them explain themselves first, then you may speak.” He said, gesturing for Rik-Ol to walk with him back to where he had left the three alphas.

Once they got there, Plo stayed on the path and crossed his arms in disappointment, “I’m back, come out, all three of you.” he said and waited for the three to appear from the bushes, heads hung low in their shame.

“I’m very disappointed in you. Cornering an omega in heat like that. You should have left and alerted a Beta or anyone who is not an unbound alpha to help our Voss guest safely back to his rooms and companions. What do you have to say for yourselves?”

"He smelled nice?" Quinlan tried to defend, but the look he was given by the Kel Dor shut him up quickly.

"I tried telling Quinlan to stop and just forget it. It's not our business to get involved with unbonded omegas." Jaob avoided eye contact with anyone.

Anakin was occupied with a death glare from Rik-Ol. The alpha didn't glare back, in fact, he knew he was caught by one person he didn't want to be caught by. Words couldn't come to him, he could only stand still and stare back..

“Knight Skywalker?” Plo asked, looking at him, prompting him to speak.

"I karked up?" he blurted. 

"You sure did." the gormak snapped.

“Explain what exactly happened. I have my theories, but it’d be good to have the facts.” Plo suggested, “How did Mystic Obi-Wan come to be out here during his heat, and what role did you play? Does the Council need to discuss choosing another Jedi to take over the mission we have assigned you with the Voss?”

Anakin swallowed hard before answering. "I dropped him off last night at the omega embassy and I headed to my room. Master Qui-Gon stopped me for a small conversation and I talked to him a bit, then Obi-Wan came up behind me and asked me to walk around with him, so I did and I showed him the gardens and… I guess we fell asleep after I suggested I take him back before his bodyguards found out. Next thing I know I'm waking up to these two growling at me, or at Obi-Wan, I don't know. It took me a bit to wake up and realize he was in heat…"

“And the fighting? Was that protection for our guest or was it one of those dominant alpha deals to win the omega’s heat?”

"Protection. I wouldn't compromise a mission like this."

“I’ll have to confirm this story with your witness. Excuse me a moment.” Plo said, stepping away and pulling out his personal communicator, punching in the code for Qui-Gon’s. After speaking with the other Jedi Master briefly, he pocketed his comm and turned back to the group. “Master Ginn has confirmed your story that last night it was the Voss Omega who approached you and asked for you to walk with him. The fact that he had not been touched in his heat is evidence that you did not keep him unwillingly until his heat started. That will have to do until his heat has passed enough to make a statement. Should he speak of a different situation, you will be taken off the Voss mission and replaced with another Jedi who can handle himself better around omegas, though you have never had issues before, so I’m inclined to believe you, Knight Skywalker.

“Knight Barla, You were present, but not involved in the fight. You stood back a decent space from the omega, and so I do not feel you posed any threat. But next time remember to go for help instead of standing by idly and increasing the amount of alpha pheromones in the area to make the omega feel so overwhelmed.”

He then turned to look at Quinlan, “As for you, Knight Vos, an unbound omega’s heat scent is no reason to corner the omega. You are a Jedi Knight, not an animal acting purely on instinct. I understand you have helped many omegas through heat before, but they have asked you, therefore giving you consent to be around them. This instance was entirely unacceptable and disciplinary action will be taken. Understand?”

Quinlan would have ducked his head more, if it was even possible. "Yes, Master…"

Anakin sighed to himself in relief, though he knew he wasn't off the hook yet with Rik-Ol. Still, he hoped he was safe until Obi-Wan wasn't in heat anymore and could speak of the interaction himself.

“Protector Rik-Ol, you may now speak your peace before these three are dismissed.” Plo stated

"None of you should be allowed to see our Mystic again." the gormak began. "Especially the two Outsider strangers. Outsiders Skywalker however will be allowed to stay if the events of his story match up with Mystic Obi-Wan's. Until our Mystic can speak for himself, Outsider Skywalker will be watched  _ closely _ ."

Plo nodded, “Very well, your terms are accepted.” he glanced at the three alphas, “You three are dismissed to go meditate on your actions this morning.”

"Yes, Master." all three mumbled before heading off to their respective rooms.

Plo turned back to Rik-Ol, “I apologize for their actions. This is not how we raise our Jedi to behave.”

"Be sure that it doesn't happen again. Someone will get hurt next time."

“Of course. I'll discuss with the council if we should have to have an alpha mandatory refresher course on how to deal with such situations. Meanwhile, do you need me to show you back to your rooms, or do you think you remember the way?”

"Show me back. I don't have the way remembered yet."

Plo nodded, “Very well, I will walk with you.”

* * *

Anakin sighed as he flopped back onto his bed. It felt insanely soft after spending a night sleeping on grass. "I didn't mean for us to fall asleep. We said five more minutes and I'd take him back." he said to his master, who he had met on the way to his room.

“Seems to me you both drifted off in those five minutes.” Qui-Gon said, fiddling with a tool that was sitting out on the table next to him.

"I know, but we got caught, and by two other alphas of all people. Poor Obi-Wan was probably stressed out of his mind being around three growling alphas while being in heat."

“Well, that goes without saying. Omegas have it hard enough during their heat. Their bodies feel overwhelming for them, as I’ve heard it, and they are slaves to it. They can hardly speak during their more intense moments, and they see the world around them with blinders on. Three strange alphas surrounding an unbound omega would be terrifying, I imagine, especially if he is used to spending his heats alone. Even if you had the best intentions, it still would stress him out to be in that situation.”

"Well, if the others didn't show up…I think things would have went differently." Anakin sat up and looked at Qui-Gon. "I mean, he did invite me to walk with him after all. I was welcomed, the other two alphas weren't."

“That was before he went into heat, Anakin. Even an alpha he’s friendly towards can put him on edge during heat.”

"I know, but… he told me he had a vision of me. Told me that he felt like we were close in the vision, closer than friends."

“Anakin… Visions are...loose possible futures that can change in an instance. It’s best to live in the present, not the future, and not the past. And even if that vision comes true, that relationship is not the one you have now. You just met, I doubt he’ll want to just jump into his heat with someone he’s known for barely a day. He didn’t seem like that kind of omega when he showed up last night in the Alpha Embassy.”

"Voss visions always come true. They're not like our visions we have. Mystic visions are a more intense versions of ours." Anakin sighed. "Obi-Wan explains it better."

“Voss believe they are always correct, that doesn’t mean they are. And the belief in a vision, fear of it coming true, can lead to actions that cause it to come true, usually in the worst ways.” Qui-Gon sighed, “I just want you to be careful, Ani, you are my padawan, and I don’t want to see you make a mistake for this omega that will cost you greatly.”

"He said he was attracted to me…"

“That is only the start of a potential relationship. You have a long way to go if you are choosing to pursue this omega’s heart.”

"I know I have a long way to go, but our mutual attraction led to us falling asleep together after only knowing each other for a day. He told me he's known me for years before meeting me. He's comfortable around me, and he can be himself around me without his bodyguards around."

“That’s good, but still, my point stands.”

"Yeah, your points always do…" Anakin shook his head. "With all he told me about his vision, I can't help but think we're supposed to be together."

“You can hope, but do not just sit back waiting for it to happen. Any relationship, foreseen or not, takes work to build. Trust me...you—you never met her, but I had an omega once. One of the ones raised in the temple. Tahl. She was beautiful and fierce. The kind of omega that makes you wonder why omegas can’t become Jedi. She would have made a great one. But I had to work hard to build our relationship up enough for her to become mine. We always had a mutual attraction, of course, but that didn’t make it any faster in building our relationship up.”

"Was she comfortable enough around you the first day to fall asleep beside you with a smile on her face? Did she initiate the first touch between you two, on the first day? Did she tell you she was attracted to you on the first day?" The young blond stood up and crossed his arms. "Every relationship is different, Master. This is an omega who has known me for years and decided that he liked me before he ever met me in person."

“I extended my hand in greeting the day we met and she flipped me flat onto my back—I fell in love right then.” Qui-Gon said. “My arm had broken and as I sat in the healers hall, I told myself that one day she would be my omega.”

"I'm just saying that a relationship with Obi-Wan might not be too far off. We had good chemistry together, and gosh he's unbelievably cute. ."

“I don’t doubt your connection, I just don’t want you to screw it up by just leaving it to fate.”

“I won’t screw it up. Not like when I rushed into battle and got my arm chopped off. I won’t screw it up…”

“There, that’s a good thing to keep in mind. You don’t want to lose another arm.” Qui-Gon smiled, “Or anything equally as a part of you.”

“Sure. Force knows I’ve screwed up enough that I’m probably due to lose another limb at some point.”

“Oh please don’t. I swear I still have a twinge of pain in my hand from when you were learning to not overdo it with your new hand. I had to get three bones knitted.”

“At least you still have both your hands. I only have one real one to feel things with. Not that this is a competition.”

“Ah, yes, you’ll miss that lost hand a lot if you do win your dream omega’s heart and can’t feel those touches.”

“I shouldn’t have been reckless during that battle… Maybe I would be able to hold his head and feel it in both hands if I hadn’t decided to rush out, lightsaber blazing.”

“I had warned you. Taught you quick to listen to your old master, didn’t it? Same thing here. If you rush in, you could lose your heart to that omega and end up alone and healing.”

Anakin sighed heavily, knowing his master to be at least a little correct. “My whole life has just spiraled into chaos in one day.”

“Mm, omegas can have that effect on alphas.”

“So can a couple of alphas wanting to get some from my potential omega.”

“It happens before two are bound. Doing a basic scenting can help that, just lightly touching the back of your omega’s neck with your fingers to leave your scent on his scent gland which will be a hint to other alphas that the omega isn’t just free for the taking. Of course, you’ll have to discuss that with your omega first. Not all omegas like the idea.”

Anakin nodded. “I told him I was respectful, so I hope he’d take the suggestion nicely.”

“Start with apologizing for what happened—I know it isn’t entirely your fault, but he was scared, and it could be comforting to him. Then use that to lead into your suggestion, making it clear that it is entirely his choice.”

“Hopefully he won’t be too upset after his heat.”

“You’ll just have to wait to know.”

Sighing, the blond sat back down on his bed. "It's going to be a long couple of days."

“Yes, but these long few days will feel far too short if you two bond.” Qui-Gon smirked.

"I would get my ass kicked if I tried that! Do you want me to get hurt? Because that's how I get hurt!"

“I did mean once you two are officially together as a bonded couple, Anakin.”

"You said  _ these _ few days! You definitely meant now."

“‘These’ was referring to days when he’s in heat, not this week specifically. Calm down, you’re clearly working up your nerves.”

"Calm down… jeez." Anakin curled up on his bed, hiding a small smile from his master.

“Calm," Qui-Gon smirked, his voice soothing, “down.”

Anakin closed his eyes, feeling safe and happy with his master there to soothe him in a time of confusion and want. "You know… I almost don't want to bring my mask with me to Voss."

“Bring it. If anything, it’ll put those big bodyguards of his at ease.” Qui-Gon insisted.

"True. I'm still not completely liked by them just yet."

“Well, after your omega officially chooses you as his alpha, they won’t have any say in the matter.”

"You say that, but that doesn't mean they will stop staring at me like I'm gonna touch him wrong."

“If they are still like that after a bond is formed, then just ignore them.”

"Easier said than done. But I suppose they won't really matter if Obi-Wan does choose me."

“Exactly. For now, give them space, but it won’t have to stay that way.”

"I'm hoping they can give me space if we end up together."

“You won’t know until you get there.”

"Anakin shrugged and turned to look at back at Qui-Gon. "What happened to your omega?"

“She passed on into the Force.” He looked down at his hands in his lap, “She wanted to travel, to make a difference and help people in the galaxy, and I couldn’t deny her that. But I also couldn’t go with her due to my Jedi duties. She went alone. She helped many, but on one of her little self-given missions, she...was hurt—badly. I abandoned my own mission to go to her, but I couldn’t make a difference, and she passed on while I held her close, trying desperately to keep her here with me.”

"Did you ever go on any of her self-given missions?"

“A few, when I was on mission leave and had the time to do so.”

"I bet she loved every time you could join her."

“She did.” he smiled, “We both loved it.”

Anakin smiled. "Did you guys ever take walks together in the evening?"

“Many times.”

"Did you guys ever talk about having a family together?"

“Yes, she—she wanted to wait, so we never...we didn’t get the chance to be parents.”

"You made a pretty good dad figure for me, so I think it's fair for me to say you would have made an even better parent."

“I try.” The large man reached over and pulled the younger alpha into a short hug before letting him go and standing up, “Good luck on your trip. Don’t let the big guys intimidate you.”

"Oh please. I'm one of the biggest and baddest alphas here. I can handle them." Anakin chuckled as he sat back.

“That may be." Qui-Gon humored him, “But they are still your potential omega’s bodyguards. Anyway, I’m supposed to meet Mace for a sparring session. I’ll see you later.”

"Have fun." Anakin sighed as his master left, looking around his room and wondering how his next interaction with Obi-Wan might go.

* * *

Obi-Wan groaned as he shifted awake, rolling over to the edge of his bed, and ignoring as his action pushed a wall of blankets and pillows onto the floor. He felt sweaty, sticky, raw and spent as he always did at the end of his heats.

Shedding the sheer robe he wore during his heats, he stood up and slowly made his way to the refresher attached to his room. There, he started drawing himself a bath with the gently scented oils and bubbles provided, and then he found the comm in his room to contact his companions, informing them of the end of his heat and that he was quite hungry. He also reassured Nodin-Va his post-heat bath was taken care of already as the Interpreter was usually the one to draw it for him. When they promised to bring him food, he moved back to the large tub and slipped in.

Some time later there was a knock on the door to Obi-Wan's room. Nodin-Va announced through the door that he had food for Obi-Wan and new towels to replace any that had been dirtied during the heat.

“Please come in, I’m in the bath—there are bubbles so I am covered.” Obi-Wan called out.

The door opened and the smell of fried food filled the room. "I got food from that diner we went to prior to your heat. If that is not to your liking, I will find something else. I also have new, clean towels."

“That is fine, thank you, Nodin-Va.” Obi-Wan said, drying a hand to pick up some of the fries to munch on when the tray was brought over and set on a small stool next to the tub. He looked up at his companion, “Have I missed anything these past few days?”

"The Outsiders are not any closer to a final decision. Outsider Skywalker is on a probationary period before he is cleared to come with us back home. He is one of the three alphas that cornered you in that garden the first day of your heat. His story claims he didn't corner you, but I'm not convinced until you make a statement about what happened."

“Cornered me? Oh...yeah…” his mind drifted back to what had happened, though it was fuzzy and hard to pinpoint exactly what happened. But he shook his head, “I had gone for a walk and had invited Outsider Skywalker with me. I guess I fell asleep and when I awoke I saw him telling two others to go away. Then another Outsider carries me away, I think.”

"You were alone with Outsider Skywalker? But he didn't hurt you?"

“No, he didn’t hurt me—I simply wished to speak with him casually. I know you do not approve.”

"You need to make an official statement in front of the Outsiders, then. If your story is different than Outsider Skywalker, then we will have a different Outsider join us."

“Outsider Skywalker comes to Voss. I have seen it.”

"As you say, Mystic." Nodin-Va nodded before going to clean up the room while Obi-Wan ate and bathed.

Once the food was gone, the water cooling, his aches gone, and his body cleaned, Obi-Wan got out of the tub and toweled dry. He then slipped into a light robe and picked up his brush, moving into the main room with his damp hair hanging down to his waist.

Sitting down he began to brush the tangles from his hair, looking over his selection of clean clothes to wear, each laying out for his ease of choice. Normally he didn’t put much thought into such things, but he was sure he’d be seeing Anakin again once he left the omega rooms, and he wanted to look nice for the alpha.

Nodin-Va finished picking up dirty towels, sheets, and clothes, tossing them into a basket to be cleaned. He cleaned up the tray of food as well, making sure the room was back in order before he announced he would be waiting outside with the two gormak companions.

“I will be out shortly.” Obi-Wan said, “I’ll be leaving my hair down to dry, so I shouldn’t be too long.”

Rak-Ta and Rik-Ol stood at attention when Obi-Wan finally emerged from his room. Rik-Ol looked especially tense after the events occurring on the first day of the Mystic's heat. 

"Ready to go?" Nodin-Va asked the redhead.

“Yes. Let’s get this over with so that we may return to Voss.”

Nodding, the Voss led the way out of the omega embassy and to the elevator. When they made it back up to the council chamber, Anakin was waiting by the doors to the chamber, standing at attention with his hands behind his back, face emotionless. 

Obi-Wan glanced at him as they passed, the doors opening to admit them into the council chamber so that he could relay his admittedly fuzzy recount of what happened the morning of his heat.

Anakin followed them in, stealing a glance at the redhead as they approached the council.

Master Windu sat up straighter as the group stood before him. "Mystic, good to see you again. Word has spread that an incident occurred the first day of your heat. Would you like to give us your side of the story?"

“I can try, but everything is difficult to recall with clearity. I’m sure you can understand.” Obi-Wan said, sliding his hands into his sleeves.

"Of course. Just do your best. We have Knight Skywalker's side of the story already. We just want to know yours so we can determine if we need to send you with a different Jedi or not."

Obi-Wan started recalling his side of the event, briefly going over the night before and not giving too much detail other than what was needed before moving on to the harder to recall following morning.

“I knew I was in preheat already, and had I known I would have fallen asleep there I wouldn’t have stayed longer. But I thank those who protected me and took me back to the safety of my room that morning.” he said, finishing up his report.

Windu sighed as he sat back. "You story does mostly match up with Skywalker's. I suppose that's enough to let him stay with you for this mission. However if at any point you feel uncomfortable with him around, we will have him return here."

“He does not make me feel uncomfortable or unsafe—those other Outsider alphas, however… I do not know their faces, but I would not like to see them again.”

"You won't." Anakin suddenly spoke up, sounding protective of the omega.

"Skywalker." Windu said in a warning tone. "Those two alphas have been taken care of and will be reminded of proper behavior." he reassured Obi-Wan.

The omega nodded and glanced over at Anakin again, “Will Outsider Skywalker be accompanying us back to Voss?”

"Yes." Windu answered. "All of you will be packing your things today and will be leaving tomorrow morning."

“Thank you. It will be good to return home to help Voss prepare. It has been an honor to meet with you, Jedi Outsiders.”

"As it has been an honor to meet you. We will let you know if we decide to send more help to Voss. You are dismissed."

Obi-Wan nodded and turned, leading his companions out of the chamber.

Once they were in the elevator once more, Anakin cleared his throat. "It's good to see you again." he said to Obi-Wan, keeping his eyes forward on the doors.

“I apologize, it seems my drifting off to sleep that evening caused you trouble with your people.”

"It's fine, I was just watched more than usual during your heat. Nothing I couldn't handle." He offered a small smile.

Obi-Wan’s cheeks flushed, and he nodded as the elevator slowed and stopped on the Omega’s floor, “I will see you on the ship, then.”

"Yeah, we'll meet in the same hangar. And trust me, we have a much better ship this time."

Obi-Wan nodded, “Until tomorrow morning, Anakin Skywalker.” he nodded before he let his companions usure him out of the elevator.

Anakin felt giddy as he went back to his room and started packing up his things. All his clothes and personal items felt insignificant as his mind keep thinking about being on a ship with Obi-Wan. Eventually the last thing he had to pack was his mask that would block the scent of an omega in heat in close proximity. He debated long about taking it or not, but in the end he put it in his bags he was taking, knowing he would have regretted not bringing it. With night falling and Obi-Wan still on his mind, Anakin stripped down and changed into his night clothes, picking a droid part to tinker with before he grew tired and settled in for the night.

* * *

To be continued...


	4. Chapter 4

Morning came quickly on the Jedi temple. Many Jedi roamed the halls in moving meditation; a typical morning in the temple. One Jedi wasn't roaming the halls however, but rather loading bags onto the Republic cruiser the Jedi council had acquired for the trip to Voss. 

Anakin hauled bag after bag into the cargo hold, having some help from a couple droids to carry the heavier stuff that the council was requiring the group to take to Voss, including newer droid parts and modern technology. When everything was loaded, Anakin stood near the ship, hands on his hips as he gazed out at the busy morning air traffic.

Obi-Wan woke up that morning later than Anakin, and double checked that he had everything packed after getting ready, then he picked up his bag and joined his companions as they all made their way to the hanger they had landed in the week before.

Arriving, Obi-Wan paused to look at the shiny new ship that had no rust from age or moss growing in patches in random places. He moved over to where Anakin stood, waiting, “Is this the ship we will be taking back to Voss?”

"Sure is." Anakin replied, turning to look at the redhead. "A lot fancier than the ship you came in, huh?"

“I don’t know, there’s no moss or rust to give it character.” Obi-Wan said.

Anakin chuckled. "Should we paint some on before we leave?"

“No, Voss is waiting.”

"Good choice. I'm ready to see the place you call home."

Obi-Wan’s lips twitched upwards, “Please show us to the rooms we will be sleeping in during the trip.”

"Of course." Anakin smiled as he led the omega and his tall companions onto the ship. 

The cruiser was a good sized ship, large enough to hold a crew much larger than the group and small droid crew being sent to Voss. Anakin explained different parts of the ship, pointing out specific details that might be important in an emergency. Finally they came to the sleeping quarters of the Voss passengers.

"Here's where you're staying. Each of you have a room to yourselves. Council made sure you had nesting supplies if you needed it. You also have the largest of the passenger rooms."

“Nesting supplies? But we should arrive shortly before my next heat.” Obi-Wan said.

"They seem to think that space travel could cause you to have your next heat early. The nesting supplies is just a precaution."

“I did not have an unexpected heat on the travel here.”

Anakin shrugged. "Again, just a precaution. If we can go the whole trip without anything unexpected, it'll be a good trip."

Obi-Wan nodded and stepped into the room that was given to him, and he quickly put his things away before stepping back out and heading to the cockpit which had been pointed out to them earlier, and where he found Anakin prepping the ship for takeoff while they waited for air clearance.

“Is it okay that I join you up here? I won’t touch anything.”

"Yeah, just make sure you're strapped in when we take off. I've been known to be… well, not exactly reckless, but more of a thrill seeker when I fly." Anakin chuckled as he flipped a switch to activate com systems.

“This seat okay?” he asked, his hands on the back of the copilot’s seat.

"Yep, perfect. You can watch the jump to hyperspace with me. It's one of my favourite things to see when I fly a starship."

Obi-Wan sat down and strapped himself in, “Rak-Ta provided you with Voss’ location?”

"Yeah, got the coordinates locked into the navigation systems. It's ready to go on autopilot as soon as we make the jump to hyperspace."

“Good—I don’t understand the words you said, but they sound good.”

Anakin smiled. "Don't worry, your pilot knows what he's doing. Been flying for most of his life."

“I would hope you’d be better than Rak-Ta. No one on Voss has flown before, so he...had to learn quickly. We were lucky to get off the ground.”

“Good thing you have an experienced pilot in your crew now. I’m still surprised your ship made it this far.”

“A mystic had foreseen that we would make it safely to the Jedi, so we didn’t worry.”

“Still, that’s a long ways to travel with a ship that’s thousands of years old. From what I can gather, your home planet is located in the Outer Rim, which is on the edge of the galaxy, while here on Coruscant is in the galaxy core.”

“I did not pay attention to the distance. I spent the weeks with Nodin-Va in the back of the ship.”

“Well, we’ll get to Voss a bit quicker this time around, but it’ll still be a long trip. Not that you’re bothered by that. I’m sure you’re eager to get home.”

“I am, heats are much nicer when I have my own nesting supplies and space that I am used to.”

“I hope you weren’t too uncomfortable during your heat here on Coruscant.”

“It was...different, didn’t smell familiar so I was a bit on edge, and I had forgotten to pack my heat toys.” he said bluntly, clearly unashamed to speak about his heat, which most omegas Anakin knew preferred to stay quiet about.

“Yikes, sounds like you had a rough time. I hope your next heat will be much more comfortable.”

A voice crackled to life over the com, stating that the ship had clearance to take off. Anakin settled into the pilot’s seat and strapped himself in. He started up the ship’s main engines and looked over at Obi-Wan. “Looks like we’re ready to go. Are you ready?”

Obi-Wan nodded, gripping the armrests of his seat so tightly his knuckles turned white. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Anakin’s piloting skills, but he’d only experienced space travel and takeoff once, and it had been a rather anxiety-giving ride.

The ship gently rose into the air and exited the hangar much smoother than what Obi-Wan previously experienced before. Soon they were soaring up in the atmosphere and above traffic until blue sky faded away and was replaced by the glittering expanse of space. Anakin flipped some switches, a new rumbling on the ship kicking up as the hyperdrive kicked on. He punched in the coordinates to Voss and looked over at Obi-Wan with a smile.

"And away we go!" He gripped a lever close to the hand controls and slammed it forward, sending the ship surging forward into hyperspace. The stars elongated and moved slower for a fraction of a second before they all snapped away and were replaced by a spiralling blue tunnel.

Obi-Wan blinked in surprise, “That—wasn’t as bad as last time.”

"I told you I knew what I was doing." Anakin smiled as he flicked on autopilot. "Now we've got a lot of free time until we get to Voss. I for one am hungry so I'm going to make some breakfast, if you would like to join me." He unbuckled his straps and stood up carefully, testing the artificial gravity before he offered his hand to the omega. "I know some omegas enjoy cooking, and if you're not one of those, you can just watch me."

“I’ve never tried cooking before. Being a Mystic takes up a lot of time, so I don’t prepare food for myself.” Obi-Wan said, taking his hand and standing up.

"Really? I mean, I guess that makes sense. I can show you some basic stuff if you would like." Anakin started toward the kitchen area of the ship. He made a mental note of how empty a ship of this size was without a full crew.

“I think I’d like to learn a few things.” Obi-Wan smiled.

"Great!" Anakin smiled, then he sighed. "How long do you think it'll take for your bodyguards to find you?"

“No telling. Guess it depends on how long it takes them to realize I left my room and there’s a chance that I’m with that ‘annoying alpha Outsider’.” he smirked.

"Is that what they're calling me? Wow, they must really not like me at all."

“No, they call you something much worse in Gormakian. It just doesn’t translate well into Basic, so I softened it.”

"Oh, yikes… I didn't know they hated me that much."

“Only because I don’t dislike you. It’ll change, I’m sure.”

"Guess they don't want to see their Mystic fall in love or something."

“Not with an Outsider. But Outsiders can become Voss through marriage. It’s happened before last time Outsiders came to Voss. At least, that’s how the story goes. An Empire Outsider married a Voss and became Voss, but did not stay on Voss, nor did they return. Voss are wary of marriage to outsiders after that, but there are no rules against it.”

“So Mystics can get married then?”

“Of course.”

“I thought I’d ask since Voss seems to care a lot about their Mystics.”

“Voss does, but that doesn’t mean Mystics are denied the basic rights that all other Voss have.”

“Well, that’s good to know. For the future.”

Obi-Wan hummed as they stepped into the galley. “So what are we making?”

“I figured I’d cook up some eggs. Give us some protein for the day. The council made sure we had actual food thankfully, so we wouldn’t be stuck with ration bars as meal for the trip.”

“Ration bars? Actual food? Do outsiders eat non-food items?”

“Sometimes on missions, yeah. Ration bars don’t really have any flavor, but they have the nutrients we need to keep going. Those are mainly used in war time though, or when involved in planetary wars or something similar to that.”

“I see.” Finding the eggs he picked one up, “How many?”

‘Well, if I need to make food for everyone, then we’ll need quite a few. Think your companions are hungry too?”

“Yes, none of us got to eat before leaving.”

“Alright, we’ll just cook up a whole carton then. Should be enough for now.” Anakin got out a pan and set it on the stove.

Obi-Wan brought the eggs over and set them down, “Alright, teach me to make eggs.”

“Alright, so when you crack the egg open, you want to be gentle. Just tap it on the counter with just enough force to crack the shell, like this.” Anakin went through all the the steps of preparing a fried egg, making sure to show Obi-Wan what temperature the stove top needed to be and when to flip the eggs over. He also showed different ways the egg could cook, from an extra runny yolk to a solid one. He had about five eggs cooked before he offered to let the omega try.

Obi-Wan was gentle—too gentle and careful with the egg he picked up. He had to knock it on the counter three different times before the little cracks started to appear, and then he went to open it, trying too hard to be smooth like Anakin had been and his thumbs ended up bursting into the egg when he put on a little more pressure when it hadn’t worked, and egg exploded out of the shell and ran down his hands in a yolky mess.

Anakin gave a lighthearted chuckle. “Close. Try again, this time don’t use as much pressure trying to open it. It’s already cracked, so it just needs to be eased open. Here.” He moved behind Obi-Wan and picked up an egg, placing it in the omega’s hands. They went through the motions together, and in the end, the egg was opened without exploding and dropped into the sizzling pan.

“I try to be careful and gentle but it still made a mess.” Obi-Wan flushed.

"It's alright, it takes practice, just like flying does. You'll get it, now try again."

Obi-Wan tried again with much the same result of a mess on his hands and in the pan. “I have the feeling the ones I cook won’t be nearly as pretty as yours.”

"Nothing wrong with that. They'll taste the same in the end."

Obi-Wan broke a few more eggs, making a mess every time until the last one left which, while he still got egg on his fingers, the yolk didn’t break and plopped down into the pan the way it was supposed to.

"Hey you did it!" Anakin pat Obi-Wan on the back with a wide smile.

“It only took all the eggs.” Obi-Wan grinned with a small laugh.

"But you finally did it, which means you're already better than when you started. I'm proud of you!" Anakin gave a wide smile to the omega.

Obi-Wan smiled inwardly and looked down at the cooking eggs, seasoning them as Anakin had instructed, and once they were done, he transferred them onto the plates they had out.

Anakin called the others to the kitchen to grab some food while he prepared a few other things to eat. “I would like to say that your Mystic helped make some of this breakfast." he said as the others came in. “And he did a pretty good job for his first time.”

“It was a messy experience.” Obi-Wan said, setting out the plates and sitting down with his companions at the table.

"Does it taste good?" Nodin-Va asked as he looked down at the eggs.

"They should." Anakin replied. "He did everything exactly like I did when I showed him how to do it."

“They just don’t look pretty like the ones Outsider Skywalker made when he was showing me how. Except this one. This one looks decent.” 

The Voss cut apart his egg before taking a bite. "It does taste good. Thank you for breakfast."

Obi-Wan couldn't seem to suppress a small smile as he picked up his fork to also begin eating.

Anakin caught the smile Obi-Wan had and smiled wider as he started to eat. Deep inside him, his alpha nature was pleased that the skill he taught the omega was catching on.

* * *

Anakin was nearly done unpacking his things in the captain's quarters. It was clear on the other side of the ship, allowing enough space between alpha and omega should Obi-Wan fall into an early heat. It was for the best, Anakin kept telling himself. If something were to happen to Obi-Wan, he would have his own room to go to so he wouldn't be accused of trying anything.

Sighing, Anakin picked up his scent blocking mask. It was a hunky thing, black and full of sharp angles that appealed to alphas, making them feel macho or whatever when wearing it. The alpha had left it for last in his packing, as well as his unpacking. He didn't know exactly where to put it, nor did he want to find a place to put it. It was almost threatening, like if he didn't have it on him at all times on the ship, something would happen and he would need it but not have it, and then all sorts of trouble would happen. Trouble that he didn't need to happen if he still wanted a chance at gaining Obi-Wan as his omega.

There was a small tapping at the open door, and when Anakin looked, he found Obi-Wan lingering there. “You’re room is so far from the others.” he observed.

"Oh, yeah… it's the captain's quarters technically. The largest bedroom on the ship, though I really don't need this much space." Anakin looked down at the mask he was still holding and tossed it onto the bed. He'd find a spot later.

“What’s that?” Obi-Wan asked, stepping inside the room and moving over to pick up the mask.

"It's a, uh… a scent blocking mask. It blocks omega scents when they're in heat."

“There’s a thing that can do that?”

"Yeah, it's helpful actually when I'm surrounded by omegas who beg me to be with them during their heat. It's just another precaution in case you go into heat again."

“You were right next to me when I went into heat in the garden, and you didn’t need this.” Obi-Wan pointed out, holding it up to his face and scrunching his brow as he pulled it away again, “Uhg, it must cancel out the omega scent with some sort of alpha smell—and not the good kind.”

"To be fair I was occupied with two growling alphas who wanted you. And yeah, the mask is supposed to repel omegas in heat, but I don't think it's actually does it's secondary job too well, unless of course an omega not in heat smells it, which you did. It's supposed to have a bunch of different generic alpha musks mixed together, and that's what creates the unpleasant scent."

“Well, it certainly is unpleasant-smelling.” Obi-Wan said, pushing the mask away into Anakin’s hands.

"Sorry, should have warned you. It's not exactly pleasant for me either." Anakin took the mask and set it on a high shelf in the closet where some of his clothes had been hung up. "I've heard of some masks similar to mine where the alpha breathes in a strong omega scent and sends them into a rut, while any surrounding omegas get an enhanced alpha musk that sends them into heat. It's kind of a nonconsensual situation…"

“That—that’s horrifying.”

"Which is why I don't really like my own mask. I don't use it often, but the thought of sending any omega into an unwilling heat makes me sick. I… I always worry my mask is going to be switched out with one of the black market masks and I won't know it until it's too late."

“Well, that smell was definitely not the smell of an omega, so I don’t think it’ll make you rut. Besides, you wouldn’t use it unless I’m already in heat, right? And if I do go into heat while on the ship, I’ll be in my room and you can bet my door will be guarded the whole time.”

“I’m not touching the mask unless you go into heat. You have my word.”

“I’m not worried about that—I just don’t want to smell that thing again.”

“You won’t. It’s staying in that closet.” Anakin wiped his hands on his pants, as if that might get rid of the mixed alpha musk the mask contained. He then smiled. “So, are you all unpacked now? Or did you come wandering to me so you could avoid unpacking?”

“I unpacked when we first got on before I joined you in the cockpit.” Obi-Wan said, “But I did meditate a bit after breakfast.”

“We should meditate together some time. Might be beneficial. Or distracting.” Anakin shrugged as he sat down on the corner of the bed.

“Jedi meditate?”

“Yeah. Well…most do. I struggle with it, but I do meditate some. Usually over a couple of droid parts though…”

“Well, I usually meditate two to three times a day. I’ve done so less on this trip, but it helps keep me centered when I have visions so that I don’t feel too drained afterwards.”

“I don’t meditate that often. It’s more like once or twice… in a few months. I really don’t meditate unless I’m frustrated and I know I need to calm down.”

“Well, I usually have a session in the morning, around noon, and then again before bed. You are welcome to join me at any of those times.”

“I’ll probably join you for the noon or evening sessions. I struggle with mornings unfortunately.” 

“Well, I haven’t seen it.” Obi-Wan said, sitting down in the chair by the desk.

"I tend to hide it, among other things."

“Other things? May I ask?”

"Well, to be completely honest, I'm not really allowed to express much emotion, or negative emotion rather. When I wake up in the mornings, I tend to have all these emotions balled up that I have to suppress and make it look like I have some sort of control over them."

“Meditation can help with that—I can try to guide you in a morning meditation.”

"I might like that." Anakin smiled, a hint of a smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth.

“Well then, shall I come here tomorrow morning for my meditation? Or you to my room?”

"Sure, I'll make sure I wake up early enough."

The omega nodded and leaned back in the seat, “Oh, by the way, when I was walking here, that one blue and silver droid was beeping like crazy and smacking a panel on the wall with a little appendage. He seemed frustrated.”

Anakin laughed. "That's Artoo. He's my droid buddy. We go way back. Known him since before I became a Jedi."

“Is he okay?I’ve not seen a droid smack things like that.”

"I think he gets his personality from people he's around. But he usually recovers after a bit."

“So you didn’t want to go check on him?”

"If you're worried about him, I can."

“It was just alarming. I wouldn’t like to think that something was wrong.”

"If something was wrong he'd come to me. I'd say we're safe."

“Alright.” Obi-Wan agreed. Anakin knew his droid friend better than he did, after all.

"So tell me more about Basil. What was he like before he powered down?"

“He was...cute. Adorable, really. Always beeping happily.He was also hard working, and in the evening after dinner and before bed, he’d set at my side while I meditated.” Obi-Wan smiled.

"Sounds like he's more tooka kitten than mouse droid."

“Tooka kitten?”

"Little furry animal. Some people keep them as pets."

“Are they adorable?”

"Very. I always kind of wanted one as a pet… never happened, and I have droids now anyways."

Obi-Wan silently considered that, “Maybe w-you should get one anyway.”

"Eh, I'm not ever in one place for long. Droids can handle moving from place to place all the time, live pets, not so much. I wouldn’t want to stress an animal out all the time like that.”

“But what if...you had an omega who could care for it?”

"Well… I suppose then it wouldn't be too stressed out, having someone around all the time to take care of it and make it happy. Take care of its needs…" Anakin fiddled with his hands while staring at Obi-Wan.

The omega held his gaze a long moment, not saying anything before he stood up, “I should get back before my absence is noticed.”

"If you must." Anakin said with a sigh. "You know where I am if you need me."

“And you know how to find me.” Obi-Wan reached out to brush his fingertips lightly across Anakin’s shoulder as he walked past.

Anakin resisted the urge to grab Obi-Wan's hand and kiss it before he left the room completely.  _ Not yet _ , he thought to himself. 

* * *

Obi-Wan stretched, still in his light sleeping robe, his hair braided down his back to prevent tangles while he had slept. Though he had washed his face and brushed his teeth. Moving to the door with a yawn, he opened it and poked his head out, looking for any sign of Anakin.

Anakin was shuffling his way over to Obi-Wan, trying to stop a yawn that very clearly would not stop. He had a loose shirt on and trousers tucked into his boots, hair not as perfect as it usually was, but it was probably better than what his actual bed head looked like. As he got closer he smiled at the omega. "Morning?" he said roughly.

“Shh," the omega sushed gently, taking Anakin’s hand and guiding him into his room before shutting the door, “Don’t want to have to deal with anyone’s attitude this morning, right?” he smiled.

The blond only smiled back, keeping light footsteps so he wouldn't give himself away. "I really didn't want to get out of bed this early, but I figured I might as well try the early morning meditation."

“Well, hopefully it’ll be worth it.” He lead Anakin over to a spot along the wall where a blue and white woven mat was spread out with a stick of incense burning.He knelt down on it and guided the alpha to do the same so that they were facing each other.

“Now, you’ll want to gently close your eyes and hold my hands so that we have a connection within the meditation. Take slow, deep breaths, in through your nose, and out past your lips.”

Anakin grabbed Obi-Wan's hands and held them firmly. They felt so delicate and small, and Anakin just had to smile at that. Inhaling through his nose, he closed his eyes and focused.

Smiling gently, Obi-Wan also closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Try clearing your mind, instead of letting it wander, focus on something small, such as the feel of my hands in yours or the gentle scent of the incense.” he suggested.

Choosing the feeling of the omega's hands, Anakin exhaled slowly. He tried to just focus on the feeling, he really did, but it didn't take long for his mind to wander.

“You’re distracted.” Obi-Wan murmured, his voice slightly echoey as he was already within his meditation, “Join me.”

Anakin sighed, resituated himself, and focused once more. This time his mind thought of the touch only, the simple feeling of omega hands touching alpha hands. Touch was all he needed to think about.

Suddenly a welcoming, warm feeling washed over him, making him feel like he could float in the air if he wanted to. Soft shapes of light began to form until he was in an empty space within his—or was it Obi-Wan’s—mind; Obi-Wan standing with him, holding his hands.

“You made it.”

Anakin looked around, eyes wide as he squeezed Obi-Wan's hands slightly. "This feels… different. Is this how mediation is supposed to go? Because this has never happened to me before."

“This is a Mystic’s meditation. I’m guiding you so you are entering my meditation space. It’s empty so that I can see my visions clearly when I have them.”

"So… you just stand here in silence until you have a vision?"

“No, the visions take me here suddenly, draw me in without meditation. For me, meditation keeps me connected to this space in my mind so that when I am brought here suddenly, it’s not nearly so jarring to me physically.”

"Then this makes the transition into visions go smoother?"

“Yes. Otherwise they can make a mystic...ill. Emptying our stomachs when we come out of the vision.”

"Yikes, sounds like that sucks a lot. Hopefully it won't happen when we're done… meditating…"

“It won’t. Trust me. You’ll come out feeling relaxed and refreshed.”

"That is the point of meditation." Anakin smiled. "Hopefully I won't get caught… we aren't actually speaking out loud right now, are we?"

“No, everything in here is within the mind.”

"Good. I'd be skinned alive if we were talking out loud." 

“We’re safe in here. No one but us will know what is said.”

"Oh yeah?" Anakin chuckled as he tilted his head to the side a little. "Well, if words are safely locked away in here… you look absolutely amazing in the morning before you make yourself look good for the day."

Obi-Wan blinked at him, “You make me blush outside meditation.”

"Really? I only make you blush? Nothing else?" Anakin stepped closer with a smirk.

“Isn’t that enough?” Obi-Wan only moved to bend his head back and look up at Anakin.

"Sometimes, yes. But other times…" Anakin straightened up, making himself look bigger as he brought a hand up to Obi-Wan's chin.

“Ah. But I’m not in heat. Why would I think of such things when I have never experienced anything of the sort outside of a heat with a few toys?”

"Because an alpha that takes interest in you wants to do things with you that would be risky and pretty much forbidden, like this." Not giving Obi-Wan a chance to respond in any way, Anakin tilted the omega's chin up and pulled him into a soft but strong kiss.

Obi-Wan let out a little gasp of surprise, but he did not resist or stiffen. Instead, his arms slid up and hooked around Anakin’s neck as he popped up onto his toes.

Anakin's arms wrapped around the omega's waist and held him tight, lifting him off the ground slightly. A kiss inside Obi-Wan's meditation was the best he was going to get until their relationship developed further. For that moment though, finally getting to kiss Obi-Wan was a big achievement for him.

“Alpha…” the omega moaned against Anakin’s lips, and then there was suddenly a shift, and the kiss somehow felt even more real. Lips pressed against his as the bright space faded away and the two were back in Obi-Wan’s room, the omega leaning forward, his hands on either side of Anakin’s knees as their lips actually touched.

Anakin growled slightly and his hand moved to the back of Obi-Wan's neck, pulling the omega closer as the real kiss was deepened. Somehow his mind hadn't clicked fully that this kiss was real and not in the meditation world Obi-Wan had brought him into. All his mind could think about was the fact that this omega was kissing him and wanted to be kissed back.

The kiss lasted a long, heated moment before Obi-Wan slowly pulled back and lingered within reach with a shaky breath before opening his eyes, “Sorry, I got distracted.”

"Don't apologize." Anakin breathed out, chasing Obi-Wan's lips hoping to get another kiss.

Their lips met once more, the omega’s eyes fluttering shut again. Their second kiss wasn't as gentle as the first, Anakin keeping his hand strong on the back of the omega's neck as he pulled them closer to each other. The alpha groaned in the kiss slightly while attempting to wrap his arms around Obi-Wan.

The omega submitted naturally, slipping off his knees and into Anakin’s lap as he was guided closer.

Anakin didn't stop kissing Obi-Wan until the omega was laying on his back on the floor and he was above Obi-Wan, kissing all over his neck with needy noises. He finally stopped and looked down at the submitting omega, catching his breath and fighting back any feelings that were far too much for the situation.

Obi-Wan looked up at Anakin, his lips still parted slightly from the kiss that had caused them to plump up. “Anakin…”

Anakin swallowed and sat back, helping the redhead sit up as well. "Well… good meditation session."

“Yes, uh, we—”

A knock interrupted them, “Mystic, breakfast is ready.”

“Alright, I just finished my morning meditation, I’ll be right there.” the omega called out through the closed door before standing up.

“I—I’ll go on ahead, you sneak out once we’re all gone.” he whispered. “Hide for now in the refresher.”

"Right…" Anakin stood up and brushed himself off before hurrying to the refresher.

Obi-Wan lingered there, watching the door to the refresher before he quickly threw on some simple robes that were less revealing than his sleep robes, then he brushed out his hair from the braid and left, meeting his companions in the corridor and walking with them to breakfast..

Once Anakin could no longer hear voices or footsteps, he rushed out if Obi-Wan's room and headed back to his own, making sure to avoid the galley on his way back.

* * *

To be continued...


	5. Chapter 5

The trip to Voss was almost over when Anakin woke up one morning to the sweet aroma of an omega in heat. It woke him up rather quickly, making his pupils dilate as he sat up. He wanted to jump out of his bed and rush to Obi-Wan, wanted to stand at the door and beg the omega to let him in. He was almost out of his sleeping quarters' doors before he managed to stop himself. 

He needed his  _ mask _ . And proper clothes.

Sighing, Anakin went to his closet and pulled out an outfit for the day, just a casual tunic and trousers tucked into boots. Living on the ship didn't require him to dress like a Jedi every day, so he had packed several casual and comfortable outfits to lounge about in.

With him being properly dressed for the day cycle, Anakin looked up at the top of the closet reluctantly. Still, if he didn't take his mask, he'd get himself into trouble. So he grabbed it, a bit too tight as he pulled it out of the closet and strapped it on. He coughed a little, suddenly being deprived of the omegan scent that had filled his nostrils. Anakin left his room with a sigh, locking the door behind him before he headed to the kitchen to find something to eat.

The past few weeks had been nice, filled with getting to know Obi-Wan more and sharing some more meditation sessions that quickly turned into make out sessions. Needless to say Anakin had gotten quite good at sneaking around the ship. He had also dared to scent Obi-Wan a little, though not enough where the omega's companions might be able to detect the scent, just in case they did have the ability to smell such things. Some races that didn’t have secondary genders could still smell the different scents specific to alphas and omegas, at least to some degree. 

Arriving at the kitchen, Anakin noticed Nodin-Va there making food already. He guessed it was for Obi-Wan, but he didn't dare ask. He was sure the Voss knew exactly what was going on and was falling to his role of taking care of the omega before leaving him be to endure through his heat.

Nodin-Va placed the squares of fruit into a bowl, washed his hands, and then got a glass of water. All easy things for an omega in heat to consume. He then grabbed a fork and glanced up at Anakin, raising his brow ever so slightly at the mask the alpha wore.

“Mystic Obi-Wan is in an unexpected heat. Please stay away from his room.”

"Yeah, I know." Anakin said with a sigh, his voice slightly muffled by the mask. "Don't go near the omega in heat…"

He slid past the Voss and looked through his options for breakfast. There were a couple eggs left that he chose to cook for himself. He was glad there's wasn't any sort of bond between his mind and any of Obi-Wan's companions. His mind was a mess of jumbled up thoughts, even though he could no longer smell the omegan scent wafting through the air in the ship.

“I’m not oblivious, Outsider. I’ve seen the changes in our mystic since he’s met you. I know he’s developing feelings for you. That’s why it’s all the more important you stay away right now. If he chooses you as his alpha, it needs to be done right and by tradition of the Little Voss way.”

"And what tradition is that? Come crawling out of his nest to beg an alpha he likes to join him? Because that's what's going to happen."

“No, he must officially introduce you to any family he has left, which in this case would be his mother. She would have to state her blessing of a union, or dislike of it so that he may consider it. If he still chooses you, then there will be a Voss wedding.”

"So I can't do anything with him until we get approval? Even if he does come crawling out of his nest begging for me?"

"You would be seen as a disrespectful alpha if you touched an unbound omega in heat."

"I see… I mean I understand. I've dealt with omegas begging me to take them before. I can handle an omega that likes and wants me…"

"Well, just stay away if you really want a chance with him. You won't get a blessing if you do touch him right now."

"You got it." Anakin saluted Nodin-Va before starting to prepare his eggs. "Stay on my side of the ship. Don't want to disrespect an omega that'll possibly be mine in the future."

“Exactly, Outsider.” Nodin-Va picked up Obi-Wan’s simple meal and paused, glancing back at the alpha, “If the Gormak ask, I threatened you to stay away.” he hinted before walking out of the galley.

"I wouldn't say threatened, but sure." Anakin said to himself as he continued to make his food. 

Once he had his breakfast made he sat down to eat, sitting in silence with his thoughts as he went over the many meditation sessions he had participated in with Obi-Wan, how most of them ended with them lip locked and against some surface, usually the floor. Anakin whined a little and shifted his legs, trying not to let his thoughts run too wild. He had to be respectful, especially if he wanted Obi-Wan to be his omega, which meant not sneaking around Obi-Wan's room and listening for any sort of noise that might be an invite in. No, he had to stay away from Obi-Wan's room and keep his mask on at all times, even when he slept.

Okay, maybe not when he slept, but every other time required his mask to be on. They were close to Voss anyways, so surely he could wait a little longer to help the very cute omega with a heat.

Anakin groaned and set his fork down, covering his face with his hands. Who was he kidding, Anakin was itching to get into that room and be with Obi-Wan. If he wasn't allowed to smell the omega, he sure as hell wasn't going to be stopped from thinking about him and all he might do to the redhead. 

After an unknown amount of time where Anakin simply sat there letting his breakfast get cold, Rik-Ol stepped into the galley and sat down across from him without a word.

Anakin let his hands fall to the table rather dramatically as he looked up at the gormak. "Have you come to also threaten me to stay away from your precious Mystic?"

“Rak-Ta and I discussed it. One will watch you, the other guard Mystic Obi-Wan’s door.” he said.

"Great, not only do I have to wear this mask, now I have my own bodyguard keeping an eye on me. This trip keeps getting better." 

“It is our job to ensure our Mystic returns to Voss safely. We are not going to take our job lightly.”

“I’ve told Nodin-Va already, I’m not going to try anything with Obi-Wan. I’ve got three sets of arms ready to clobber me if I make a wrong move. I’m not stupid.”

“I am here to make sure it stays that way. This heat has hit him particularly hard. Anything could happen.”

“Smells like it’s a hard heat.” Anakin pulled his mask back on after having removed it to eat.

“It is, he’s very distressed, even with not having alphas corner him. Even Nodin-Va has to be careful when bringing him his daily needs.”

“Hopefully this surprise heat won’t last too long. His scent is getting stronger, and not in the good way.”

“This is why we are taking the extra precaution as to have one of us with you as well. His scent is so strong in that area of this ship that even Gormak can sense it. Not a good thing for Gormak to feel slightly affected. We stay in control, but if it’s affecting Gormak in any way, then it can drive alphas beyond control.”

“Good thing I have my mask then.” Anakin sighed and sat back in his chair. He wasn’t really hungry anymore. He just wanted Obi-Wan.

“Mystic Obi-Wan spoke of your stinky mask. If it helps, then that is good.”

“Sure it ‘helps’. I don’t like it that much, but I’m required to have it as a Jedi.”

“Your comfort, Outsider, isn’t my concern.” Rik-Ol stated.

Anakin rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I know. I’m not important to you guys.”

“No one is comfortable, so why should your comfort matter?”

“I didn’t say my comfort mattered. The only person whose comfort matters here is Obi-Wan’s.”

“I agree. So just put up with my following you around until this is finally over.”

“So… the following starts now, then? Can’t I finish my breakfast and get cleaned up first before you do that?”

“You go about your normal routine. I will just be following. If you are in your private room, then I will wait outside the door.”

“Good, I don’t think I’d like someone watching me sleep.” Anakin looked back down at his plate, then he picked it up and the fork and stood up. “I think I’ll actually finish eating in my room… I don’t feel like being watched right now.”

“Very well.”

Anakin gave a sideways glance at the gormak before heading off to his room, making sure to lock the door after he went through.

* * *

"Artoo, can you hand me that wrench?"

Anakin and Artoo were in the cargo bay, working on a particular speeder that had been giving the blond fits back on Coruscant. He was covered in grease, but he didn't seem to mind as he took the tool from his spunky droid companion.

Here Anakin was able to get away from the ever watching eyes of one of the gormak. Here he could be himself, be Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight and master mechanic. He didn't have to worry about taking in Obi-Wan's scent, well, mostly. The omega's scent had traveled through almost the whole ship, and Anakin found himself needing his mask when an extra strong burst of the scent wafted through.

The droid beeped and picked up the wrench he was asked for, handing it over to the Jedi, and then grabbing a rag, also handing it out, beeping in a taunting way that clearly showed that Anakin was about to do something that will only cause an unnecessary mess.

"Oh, don't worry, Artoo, I won't make a mess. Again. I just need to adjust this one bolt…" Anakin placed the wrench around the bolt he spoke of and tugged at it, though he was leaning back in case something did happen to explode in his face.

Artoo beeped again, rocking back and forth.

The bolt gave way, and a bunch of oil leaked out onto Anakin's pants. The alpha sighed and tossed the wrench to the side. "Okay, you were right… don't rub it in though."

The droid gave a gleeful beep, throwing the rag at him and rolling out of reach to spin happily. 

"You're the worst droid ever." Anakin laughed as he stood up and wiped his hands off, then tried to wipe some of the oil off his pants.

Artoo began beeping again when suddenly the door opened and Obi-Wan’s three companions all rushed in actually looking worried.

“Mystic Obi-Wan has had a vision!” Nodin-Va said hurriedly.

Anakin turned to the three. "Uh… okay? Is he out of his heat then?"

“No, a vision does not end the heat cycle of an omegan mystic.”

"Alright, so why come to me he had a vision then?"

“Because it is almost upon us.”

"You guys are really bad at just telling me want this vision is about." Anakin wiped his hands on the rag again, sighing. 

“Ultimately, this ship crashes when we get to Voss. The Sith will be waiting in the stars around Voss.”

"What?!" Anakin dropped the rag as his voice raised. "Oh kark, we need to contact Voss, let them know."

“We cannot. The only remaining transmitter Voss had that could reach the stars blew up after we tried sending that message to the Jedi.” Nodin-Va explained, “Our concern is to make sure we survive the crash so that we can regroup with Voss. They will already know of the Sith’s arrival—Voss-Ka, our capital, will be destroyed before we arrive.”

Nodin-Va shifted, “The vision tells us of only one safe entry point close enough to any of our settlements to be of help to those who have survived Voss-Ka. We will have to try setting down in the Nightmare Lands, but the engines will cut out before we touch down.”

"Nightmare lands? Sounds like something out of a horror holodrama. Is there no way to stop all this from happening?"

“No, any other touchdown location we’ll be detected and shot down. There will be fire and death. The remaining dark energy still lingering in the Nightmare Lands from long ago will distort and hide us, but it will also be what causes the engines to go out as I have interpreted it. We need to prepare for that and ensure that we walk away from it.”

“Okay, well I can land a ship as good as I can fly one. Maybe we can make it out without crashing the ship. We could lose all our stuff if we do crash, including all the good technology we were bringing back to Voss. Better communication.”

“You can land a ship without engines?”

“I’ve been flying almost all my life. I can glide a ship to safety with minimal damages. Mostly.”

“It’ll have to do. Anything else we can do to prepare? I fear that Voss is not used to such situations as we stay on Voss.”

“I can contact the council, but I’m more concerned that we can’t contact Voss… Maybe if we can get one of the escape pods to Voss without being damaged, we could get a connection that way, but it won’t work if the Sith are already there.” Anakin sighed and ran a hand through his hair, pulling his mask over his head once more. “Let’s get to the holocom and contact the council. They might have a suggestion on what to do.”

Nodin-Va nodded, “We can try, but I do not believe they trust our Mystic’s visions.”

“They’ll trust me more than they would Obi-Wan’s visions. Or, we could wait until we get to Voss and see the situation for ourselves.” Anakin shrugged, picking up the towel and handing it to Artoo. “Can you clean up, Artoo? I’ll work on this speeder later… if I have the time.”

Artoo beeped, waving the rag at the Jedi as the organic beings all walked out.

“We will do as you suggest, you are more experienced with such situations.”

“Then let’s talk to the council. Multiple minds working together on this is better than the few we have.” Anakin headed towards the elevator, wiping his forearm against his forehead. “Also why was Obi-Wan left alone? If this is an actual threat we’re facing, he’s got to be as worried as you guys are. Distressed omegas in heat are not good things.”

“He is resting after the vision.”

“That doesn’t mean someone doesn’t need to be there by his door watching. It could have only taken one of you to tell me about the vision, not all three.” Anakin sighed, punching in the button to be lifted out of the cargo bay.

“We all need to know the plan and start working on our parts.” Nodin-Va protested, “Mystic Obi-Wan understands. Voss does as needed to save Voss.”

“Gotta hand it to you guys, you sure are loyal…” The elevator opened once more on the deck above, Anakin leaving first and heading straight to the holocom. “This call may be pointless. We might just have to wait it out and see what happens, but if we can get any sort of prepared plan for when we drop out of hyperspace, we’ll be far better off.”

He punched in the frequency for the council chambers and waited for someone to pick up. He glanced off in the direction of Obi-Wan’s room, sensing the distress coming from the omega. His instincts told him to go calm him down, but he couldn’t. At least not yet… maybe after the call…

The call was picked up by Mace and Shaak, no other council members present. “Knight Skywalker? You have a report for us already?” Mace questioned.

“We’ve got a problem." Anakin started. “The Mystic had another vision, that Voss will already be overrun by the Sith by the time we get there. The only way we can get planet-side safely is through a crash landing in a deadzone called the Nightmare Lands.”

“And, you are trusting this vision without confirming the location of these alleged Sith?”

“I trust Obi-Wan. He’s had two visions now that include the Sith invading Voss. That consistency makes me believe this is really going to happen.”

“And you’re sure it’s not just your alpha interest in the omega Mystic interfering with your better judgment?”

“I’m not concerned about my alpha interest, I’m concerned about a planet that needs help and needs it faster than we anticipated. Voss is in danger, and we have no way of communicating with the planet. Their last interstellar holocom became useless after sending us the message.”

“We still need confirmation of the Sith’s return to the galaxy before we can greenlight sending more Jedi.” Shaak said.

“You want confirmation? Are you nuts?! You want us to wait until we get there so we can send a greeting holo? ‘Hi, we made it to Voss, here’s all the Sith!’ We can’t wait until it’s too late!” Anakin huffed and crossed his arms. “A planet is in danger, a whole civilization we know very little about, and you still want to think on helping them or not?”

“This was the decision of the Council.” Shaak explained, “The Sith have been dead for thousands of generations. We can not just send all our available Jedi to an unknown planet on the word of a vision that states that the Sith are back.”

“Once we crash on Voss, we won’t have ways to communicate. We’re going to be stranded on Voss unless we do something. I know we’re weeks out now, but if we don’t do anything, we’re sitting tauntaun fawns.”

“I thought you said you could land this ship without the engines with minimal damage. We would still have the new Outsider technology in this ship.” Nodin-Va stated.

“I did say that, and I intend to land the ship with the minimal amount of damage possible. It’s still going to be a crash landing though, especially if there’s no clear stretch of land or open area we can land. Just accounting for if things go wrong.”

Mace sighed, “According to our calculations, you are about a standard day’s travel away from Voss. The best we can do is to wait, and if we do not hear word from you in two standard days, we’ll deploy some backup claiming you have missed a vital check-in call.”

Anakin sighed and rubbed his eyes. “I guess that’s better than nothing. We’ll try making an update call when we arrive.”

“We will be waiting, Knight Skywalker.” Shaak said, “May the Force be with you.”

Anakin nodded and ended the transmission, leaning against the holocom heavily. “We better get things packed up. We arrive at Voss soon.”

They nodded, “What should we do with Mystic Obi-Wan? He will still be in the last hours of his heat when this happens.” Nodin-Va asked.

“If we descend to Voss while he’s still in heat, that’ll only distress him and probably cause some sort of medical complication. We could drop out of hyperspace early and drift to Voss until he’s out of heat. We might be able to sneak past the Sith if we do that.”

“We must get there before the Sith reaches the Shrine of Healing.”

“I know. But Obi-Wan doesn’t need to be any more stressed than he already is. If we can let him get through the rest of his heat in peace, the better off we’ll be.”

“That is why I am asking how we can make this easier on him, without putting the safety of all our other Mystics at risk due to tardiness.”

“I mean… we could let him come out and be with us at the front of the ship. Or let him be close to an alpha at least to calm him down.” Anakin was hesitant with his response, knowing exactly what he was suggesting to do.

The Gormak both growled in response.

“Being close to an unfamiliar alpha will only cause more distress, Outsider.” Nodin-Va protested.

“That’s the thing though. You’ve seen how he acts around me… I’m not an unfamiliar alpha to him.” Anakin sighed. “You may hate me more for this, but we’ve been having morning meditation sessions together in his room. A lot of those sessions end with us… kissing. We’re not strangers to each other.”

“You have touched Mystic Obi-Wan?”

Anakin cringed a little. “We’ve only kissed, I swear.”

“You have still touched him.”

“I know. My point is though, we’re not unfamiliar to each other. He wouldn’t be stressed out by being around me.”

“I want to.” Obi-Wan’s voice cut through the argument before it could get heated. He stood in the open doorway of his room, loosely draped with a sleeping robe and a blanket, his braided hair a mess, no makeup, or anything that normally made him look so put together. The unkempt appearance only made him seem more vulnerable.

All four turned to look at Obi-Wan, Anakin’s eyes going wide. “O-Obi-Wan… What are you doing out here? You’re not out of your heat yet, are you?” The blond debated taking his mask off to test the air, but he figured that wouldn’t be a good idea quite yet.

The redhead shook his head, “It’s not over yet. But I heard you arguing, and I feel I should have a say in what is done with me.” He stumbled forward a bit until he joined the group, leaning against Anakin once he got there. It was clear the omega was forcing himself, feeling uncomfortable and vulnerable, and struggling to ignore his need. “If you say it’s best for me to be near you when we go down, then I want to trust that judgement.”

“I said that so you wouldn’t be alone in your room and freak out when we land, if it’s a rough landing. Not necessarily so that I’d have you by me if something happened while we go down. Just… want you to be safe.” Anakin was glad he hadn’t taken his mask off.

“I know, alpha.” Obi-Wan rested his cheek on Anakin;s chest and closed his eyes, breathing in his now familiar scent.

Anakin swallowed. “We should be at Voss within a standard day. You have time to relax until we jump out of hyperspace. I think we’re going to drop out a bit early, just so we have time to get everything ready for the descent.” He shifted slightly. “Do you need anything right now? Food, water, more blankets?”

“Shirt, one with your scent...to put over a pillow.” Obi-Wan flushed a deep red.

“Of course, sure…” Anakin was all too aware of how Obi-Wan’s companions were staring at him, but he hurried to his room anyways and grabbed a shirt, one he had recently worn, and came back to the omega, handing him the shirt. “Here, wore this one yesterday…”

Obi-Wan nodded and hugged it to him, breathing in it’s scent. Satisfied, he nodded, “Thank you, Anakin.”

“You’re welcome.” Anakin brushed back some of Obi-Wan’s hair, careful not to touch his neck, knowing touching any skin on an omega in heat wasn’t the greatest idea if they weren’t bonded.

“I’m going back to my nest now—it’s too...big out here.”

"Let me know if you need anything else." Anakin watched Obi-Wan go, then took a huge breath when the door closed again. He looked over at the Voss and Gormak. “Still unhappy with me, or what?”

They didn’t respond, they couldn’t. It was clear that Obi-Wan wasn’t feeling forced or threatened by the outsider alpha. But that still didn’t mean they approved of the budding relationship.

Anakin smiled and chuckled. “Pack up your things, tomorrow is going to be a rough day, so we should be prepared for anything.”

“We will be ready.”

* * *

Anakin looked out the front viewport of the cruiser, watching the swirling blue of hyperspace fly by as he prepared to slow the ship down. The ship’s autopilot had been turned off, though the controls stayed steady at the blond’s hand. He wasn’t really prepared for what he was going to see, but he didn’t have time to be prepared. He just hoped that they were able to slip onto the planet without being noticed by the Sith; if the Sith were really there.

The door opened and the Voss natives all walked in. Obi-Wan was a little more put together than last time, but it was clear he was still feeling the effects of his heat to some degree as he hugged a pillow with one of Anakin’s tunics acting as a pillow case. He moved over and curled up in a seat, watching Anakin. The other three all moved in further, looking out the window in anticipation. 

“I hope, for your sake, that it’s not as bad as you think.” Anakin took a breath before reaching for the lever to kick the ship out of hyperspace. 

The blue streaks faded away, replaced with elongated stars until they shortened to their normal rounded shape. Voss was a short distance away, it’s yellow-orange atmosphere making the planet look grim and uncomfortably warm. Surrounding the planet in a blockade were several ships that looked very much like modernized Sith empire ships.

“My visions are never wrong.” Obi-Wan said, looking out the window at the very scene he’d seen in the start of his vision. His heat had blurred memory of the vision, but he had managed to remember the main parts through his haze of need. Nodin-Va knew the details better as he’d given the interpreter all the details before things began to fade.

Anakin turned to look at the omega. “Well… what now then? Did your vision show us landing immediately?”

“My vision showed flashes of things that are to come in this one event. We arrive, we go for a landing, and our engines stop. Those are the main happenings that didn’t need an interpreter to study in order to know what happens. No matter what you choose now, it will happen the way I have foreseen.”

“Alright, well, I guess let’s head in. Nodin-Va, show me where these Nightmare Lands are.”

“I won’t need to. You’ll see it when we pass over it. They are ancient ruins on land that is still discolored from the evil that had once infected it.”

Anakin directed the ship around Voss, careful to stay out of sight of any Sith ships. Finally a darker area came to view, clearly dead land charred by darkness many years before. The ship dove down to the spot, seemingly no ships in the area, which was suspicious to say the least. 

It was quiet in the ship, almost too quiet as they glided down into the planet's atmosphere. Even entering the atmosphere was quiet, and then suddenly the sounds of laserbolts crashing into the ship's hull exploded all around the small group. The ship lunged and groaned at the sudden attack, though its shields held up fairly well. Another rain of bolts shot the ship, and the shields faltered before giving out, which Anakin shouldn't have been surprised about, but he was anyways.

"Grab hold of something." he shouted over the noise. "This is gonna be rough."

Anakin looked around through the burning atmosphere, trying to catch a glimpse at what was shooting at them. He only barely saw two starfighters before yet another rain of bolt hit the ship, this time hitting the main engines. The ship rocked violently, causing Anakin's rear to lift off the seat before slamming back down. He grunted as he landed in a different position he was in before the ship rocked.

Obi-Wan stayed in his seat, seemingly unaffected by the attack, no surprise or fear crossing his features in the way Anakin had begun to learn and notice in their time together. His companions, however, didn’t seem quite as serene as the Mystic as they gripped any surface they could reach from their seats.

Anakin grabbed the controls once more and looked over the panel of flashing lights close by. "Engines are down. It's all gliding from here, if they stop shooting at us."

Thankfully, the closer they got to the Nightmare Lands, the less shots they took, and soon no shots were fired at them anymore as they glided down towards the trees. Anakin tried to find a clear place to land, but it was becoming increasingly difficult the closer to the ground they got. Trees started to clip the bottom of the ship, making the ride much bumpier the further down they went. 

At last a short clearing came into view, and Anakin pointed the nose of the ship down quickly so he wouldn't miss the rare landing spot. The ship crashed into the ground and slid quite a ways before settling just as the clearing ended. Nearly half the ship was into the trees, branches smashing through the transparisteel of the front viewport. 

Anakin sat heavily back in his seat, sighing loudly as he relaxed. "I hate crash landings." he muttered to no one in particular. He looked back at his companions. "Is everyone okay?"

“I’d call it a rather happy landing.” Obi-Wan smiled at Anakin before unbuckling himself and walking over to touch one of the branches that stuck into the ship.

"So now we stay low. I'm gonna see if the holocom is still intact. If it is, I'm calling the council." Anakin got up from his seat, moving around the tree branches before leaving the cockpit.

“Stay low? By staying here, or should we follow you, Anakin?” Obi-Wan asked, clearly done with keeping to calling Anakin by his ‘Outsider’ status.

“You can come if you want. I wouldn’t mind the company.” Anakin smiled as he slowed his pace a little, hinting that he wanted Obi-Wan to follow him. “The others can scope out the area, find some firewood or food.”

Rak-Ta growled when Obi-Wan moved to follow. "You're in heat still."

"Barely." Obi-Wan responded. 

The Gormak sighed, "The Outsider will keep his mask on."

“Don’t worry, I can keep my mask on." Anakin called out, turning and stepping backwards while he gave a hidden smirk to Rak-Ta. 

“I should hope so." Nodin-Va commented.

Obi-Wan hurried to catch up with Ankin, slipping his arm through his and leaning against him as they walked.

Anakin smiled down at Obi-Wan. “Glad you could join me. Feels like that night at the Jedi temple all over again.”

“From a certain point of view.” Obi-Wan agreed.

“Feels nice to be alone again.” Anakin sighed. “So how are you doing? Being at the end of your heat and all that.”

“I manage. I’m a bit sore from rubbing myself raw against the sheets in my desperation, and as much as I couldn’t make myself feel full enough, back there is also quite sore and overstimulated.” the omega said rather bluntly.

“Ah, well I hope you have a good recovery. I know heats can be rough, especially if they’re unexpected.”

“I haven’t had one this rough since my first one.” the omega admitted, “But...I’m hoping to have my alpha before I have to go through one alone again.” he hinted, glancing up at Anakin with a sly smile.

“Force, me too.” Anakin squeezed Obi-Wan’s arm. “I’d love to join my omega on his next heat. I can ditch this stupid mask.”

“You’ll first need to meet my mother, and then we can bond in marriage, but, I wish for you to accept me as your omega.”

“You know already that I will. Just give me the word and I’m yours.”

“This is my official invitation to be my alpha, Anakin.”

Anakin halted and grabbed Obi-Wan’s shoulders. “I’d love to be your alpha, Obi-Wan.”

Obi-Wan smiled, letting out a small chuckle, “You’re cute when you’re excited, Anakin.” He said, shifting up to kiss Anakin’s mask over his lips. 

“You have no idea how bad I want to take this mask off and kiss you back.” Anakin sighed and let his head tilt to the side a little, a look of need in his eyes.

“I know, I want that, too. But we don’t want to tempt things. Just a little longer, and you’ll never have to wear that thing again.”

"I want to burn it. Terrible thing, really. I wanted to take it off so many times during this heat." Anakin raised his hands to cup the omega's face.

“I’ll help you burn it, then.”

"Thanks. I think it'll mean more if we both help burn it." The blond let his hands drop, and he continued on through the ship until he got to the holocom. It was mostly intact still, which meant he had a good chance of contacting the council.

Messing around with some of the controls, Anakin got the holocom up and running again, and he adjusted the frequency before sending out a signal he hoped would reach Coruscant.

“Before our wedding.” Obi-Wan said as he watched Anakin fiddle with things, “So you can feel that freedom before we bond. So you know when I go into heat again, that I’ll be all yours.”

"Should we wait to do the wedding until you're closer to your next heat?" Anakin asked as he waited for the signal to go through.

“Part of a Voss wedding, when it is between an omega and alpha, is that we drink the nectar of a specific flower that is known to induce both heat and rut when ingested. Our ceremony ends with us in a private room together for the official claiming. The reception is celebrated after that first mating.”

"Well that's a better way to induce a heat or rut than the other version of my mask."

“It is also consensual of both omega and alpha. It’s an old tradition to put the newly bonded on the same cycle rather than wait for the alpha’s rut to learn and line up with the omega’s heat. But it is a tradition that is still optional should one or both not wish to drink.”

"Well, I'd like to think that we'd want to be on the same cycle as soon as possible. Sooner we can spend one of your heats together."

“I agree. I’d like to drink with you at our wedding.”

Anakin smiled. "I like how we're already discussing a wedding when we haven't even gotten your mom's blessing yet. Think she'll approve?"

“She once told me that she would approve of any partner I choose, and who chooses me in return. She may be surprised I chose an Outsider, but I’m confident she will give her blessing.”

"Well, if you think about it, I'm quite literally the man of your dreams, so she'd almost have to give her blessing."

Anakin sighed and tapped the holocom. "Looks like we're not getting through. We'll try again tomorrow."

“But it is working?”

"There might not be anyone in the council room. Not sure what time it is on Coruscant at the temple." Anakin shrugged. "We've got time to kill now I guess."

“I guess we do.”

"Think you could introduce me to your homeworld?"

“It’s hard to do in the Nightmare Lands. This place is cursed. Voss do not come here unless it is unavoidable. Though it has been healing. Voss do not go mad anymore here. It used to corrupt the mind and turn Voss and animals violent towards all they see. Many forgotten secrets of our past are hidden in the ruins here, but Voss still fears exploring it to rediscover what we have not already recovered last time Outsiders came.”

“Surely it’s not as bad as people seem to think. If it’s changed over time and the evil has pretty much left, what is there to fear about these lands?”

“The evil’s still here, just dormant due to a life sacrifice. Her life keeps it harmless, but if it is to be disturbed, it could once more awaken and try to consume all of Voss once more.”

"And that's what the Sith plan to do. We need to keep the evil dormant and prevent the Sith from getting here to access the power."

“The Sith are here to take Voss’ Mystics, twist them to their will and servitude—I suppose in that same way of the slaves you spoke about once. But for our visions, not work or sex. But it also stands to reason, should they find out about Sel-Makor, that they would seek it out and try to awaken it.”

"Well I'm going to do my best to make sure that doesn't happen, even if that means I need to get in a lightsaber battle with 20 of them."

“I know you’ll do what you can to help save Voss.” Obi-Wan said, taking his hand.

“I wish the council had the same viewpoint as I do. It would make this whole situation easier.” Anakin shook his head and turned away from the holocom, instead heading towards a hole that had been ripped into the side of the ship. “I don’t think that speeder I was working on survived the crash.”

“We can check it—and the other things the Jedi sent to Voss.”

Anakin nodded, then his eyes grew wide. “Oh kark, I hope Artoo made it. I’m going to be devastated if he didn’t.” Anakin looked back at Obi-Wan, then he stepped closer to the hole and looked at how far down the ground was.

“Where is he?”

“I’m not sure. He could be down in the cargo bay still. That was the last place I saw him.”

“Then let’s go check there for him.”

“We’re going to have to jump down. The lift won’t work without the ship’s full power.” Anakin extended a hand out to the omega.

“Jump down? From where? Here? Are you crazy?”

“Nope, I’m a Jedi.” Anakin smiled and gestured his hand. “Come on, I’ll hold on tight to you.”

It was clear the Mystic was nervous, but he took Anakin’s hand and let himself be pulled in tight against the alpha’s body, holding tight to his shoulders.

“It’s not that far of a jump, so don’t worry.” Anakin stepped forward, then again, and his foot went straight down instead of landing on durasteel. He kept a tight grip on the omega as they dropped down and landed softly on the ground. “Now that wasn’t so bad, was it?”

During the fall, Obi-Wan’s grip on the alpha had tightened, and his legs had lifted to wrap around his waist to help hold on. His eyes were squeezed shut and his breath had stilled. Slowly, he let it out and blinked his eyes open, “We—we made it?”

Anakin laughed. “Yeah, I told you it wasn’t that high of a drop.”

“I would have at least broken my ankle.”

“Good thing you have a Jedi that uses the Force to soften landings.”

“Well, I’m glad your ‘Force’ trick works.”

“It usually does.” Anakin let go of Obi-Wan and looked around for maybe an opening into the cargo hold at the bottom of the ship. “Hopefully we can find a way to get back in. I’d hate to think my buddy is trapped in there.”

“Could always climb a tree to get in again.”

“If I wanted the exercise I guess. Then again, I can always use the Force.” Anakin stepped closer to the ship and put his hands on the hull. He focused, and soon the durasteel was creaking and bending under the pressure of the Force. After a bit of tugging and cracking, another hole in the hull was formed, one that Anakin could pull apart and made larger until it was large enough for him and Obi-Wan to walk into.

“Or you can just use your big alpha muscles to rip a hole in the ship, I see. I don’t know why you seemed so worried about getting back inside.”

“I get good ideas only sometimes." Anakin said with a smile. “They just pop into my head every once in a while.”

“So you get a lot of bad ideas?”

“Not so much as bad. More like impulsive.”

“Such as jumping out of a crashed ship with your omega?”

“That wasn’t impulsive. We weren’t getting down to the cargo bay through the lift, so we had to jump down.”

“Felt impulsive to me.”

Anakin shrugged. “Maybe I just wanted to show off.”

“Maybe I like when you show off...impulsively.”

"Glad we understand each other then." Anakin chuckled as he stepped into the cargo bay.

“Glad the door wasn’t locked.” Obi-Wan said, looking around. All the cases of equipment were still magnetized to the floor, so there was hope that none of it got damaged. The speeder, however, hadn’t stayed in place and was flipped up against a wall.

Artoo was fine, beeping up a storm as he rolled over to Anakin before rocking himself back and forth.

“Hey buddy! I’m so glad to see you again.” Anakin knelt down and started babbling off to the droid with a wide smile, petting him like he was a real animal.

“He seems upset.” Obi-Wan observed.

“Just a little spooked, that’s all. He’s glad to be free again.” Anakin stood up and dusted off his knees.

“Can you understand those beeps?”

“Yeah, I can speak a little, but it’s not as good as I can understand it.”

“Interesting, I didn’t know there were beings that could understand droid beeps. I just thought they were cute sounds.”

“I might be able to teach you to understand what Basil says when I get him up and running again.”

“I’d like that—I think he’d like that, too. And to meet Artoo. I’m sure he would like a new droid friend.”

“Mouse droids do seem to like friends more than other droids do.”

“It’ll be good for him, would you like that, Artoo?” Obi-Wan asked the droid.

Artoo beeped, which Anakin scoffed at. “Just don’t act like you do around Threepio and we’ll be good." he told the droid.

“Threepio?” Obi-Wan looked back at Anakin.

“A droid I built when I was a kid. Left him on my home planet when I went off to become a Jedi, found him again when I went back to find my mom.”

“And you don’t bring him on missions?”

“He’s anxious, worries about everything really. I find it best to leave him at the temple most of the time.”

“I see. Well, maybe after we marry he’ll be more comfortable on Voss—we’re normally a very peaceful planet. This Sith thing has really shaken us.”

“Maybe. Thing is he doesn’t like to fly. I have no idea where he got that fear, but it gives him more personality I guess. He talks a lot too, in basic even.”

“Did you land in a tree with him as a passenger?” Obi-Wan teased.

“No, I never did that. Maybe when he watched me race as a kid he decided he didn’t like starships.”

“Race? Why would he not like flying based off a child’s racing event?”

“Because it really wasn’t a  _ child’s  _ racing event. I was racing against adults, and I won once. That’s how I was able to leave my home planet, Tatooine.”

“Why would a child be racing adults?”

“Usually it wouldn’t happen. But my owner wanted me to race and knew I could keep up with the adults because I was Force sensitive.”

“You Jedi talk about that a lot—Force and such. I’m not entirely sure what that means, and why is it sensitive?”

“If someone is Force sensitive, then they have the ability to harness its power and use it to their advantage, or disadvantage, depending on the situation. The Force is basically this energy that binds all living things together, and some people are able to use this energy.”

“How do they know they can harness it?”

"Usually if you can float things around, that's a pretty good indicator."

“Float?” 

"Like this." Anakin grabbed a piece of scrap and made it float in his hands.

Obi-Wan’s eyes widened, “You can make things defy gravity…” he said in awe.

"Pretty much, yeah." Anakin smiled and floated the scrap over to Obi-Wan.

The omega poked it, watching it spin from the touch.

"Only Force sensitive people can do stuff like this. Lots of people try to replicate the abilities, but no one ever succeeds."

“That is amazing. I’ve never seen anyone do such a thing before.”

“Really? You’ve never seen a Force user on Voss?”

“No, Just Mystics...and potential Mystics...and those who failed to become Mystics.” Obi-Wan paused, “Basically just visions come to a select few on Voss. And healing, Mystics have a power to heal that others seem incapable of.”

“You know, that almost sounds like Force users. Not quite, but almost.”

“Do you think it could be the same—only mystics have a tighter bond with the Force thing that makes it so our visions are never wrong, but we can’t float things?”

Anakin shrugged. “It could be. There would be tests run to prove that theory, but it could be very likely that Jedi and Mystics are one and the same; Force users.”

“And...the Sith? Our records said that the Jedi and Sith had the same skills…”

“Yeah, Sith are also Force users, though they more hold the Force hostage and use its power for their own gains, unlike what the Jedi do. Jedi let the Force flow through them and use its power for the good of others.”

“Ah, I see. I guess that could be why Jedi of old didn’t like or trust Voss.” Obi-Wan hummed, hoisting himself up to sit on a crate, “Visions come to us and is our main power, but it’s not the same with our ability to heal. Everything must remain in balance. We must take a life to save a life, there must be an equal exchange in order to heal wounds or illness. Records claim that Jedi thought our ways were too dark, and maybe it was because they did not believe in the exchange our healing methods require. We do harm in order to do good.”

Anakin hummed. “So Mystics are more in the middle, between Sith and Jedi. That does make a lot of sense actually. I myself think I lean towards the middle. I still show my emotions a lot of the time, and I’m more violent and impulsive than most other Jedi, but there’s no group taking people in the middle, so I’m stuck with the Jedi.”

“That you know of. If Mystics are one of these ‘Force-user’ groups, then there stands to reason there are many others out there in the stars that are in the middle.”

The blond nodded in agreement. “Think I could make it as a Mystic?”

“You do not have reliable visions.” he shook his head, “That’s the main qualification of becoming a mystic.”

“Well, it was worth a shot. We could have been Mystic husbands together.” Anakin smirked and leaned against the stack of crates next to the one Obi-Wan sat on.

“However, that doesn’t mean that those who fail to become mystics are without this Force thing, if it is connected. You could start a new Order on Voss for the failed Mystics, teach them abilities they can use to help Voss that is closer to the middle and more within the Voss way than the Jedi. It would be slow and difficult to do, to gain that much trust on Voss, even after becoming Voss through marriage, but if that is something you’d want to do, you could try. If not, I’ll still support my Jedi husband who takes off for the stars.”

“The Jedi might not like that I’ll be getting married. Most Jedi stay unmarried, unbonded for their whole lives. If I’m getting married to you, I’m staying on Voss as much as I can.”

“I can’t lie and say that doesn’t make me happy to hear—that you’d stay with me here…with the family we may make together.”

“Honestly… I’m not as happy as I would like to be, being a Jedi. If I can settle down, have a family, be truly happy for the first time in my life, I’m taking that opportunity the first chance I get.”

Obi-Wan smiled, “You’ve been thinking, I see.”

“Yeah, I have… A life with you is far better to me than a life serving the Jedi and doing things their way.” Anakin stepped closer, smiling at how the omega was at eye level with him while sitting on the crates. 

“I hope they will accept your choice.” Obi-Wan smiled, pulling the Jedi closer and nuzzling his neck fondly as the alpha mask was still in place.

Anakin tilted his head to the side and closed his eyes, letting out a pleased sigh. He considered taking his mask off, and then he was taking the mask off, tossing it to the side and pulling the redhead into a kiss. His hands rested on Obi-Wan’s hips.

Obi-Wan watched as the mask bounced with a series of clanks against the floor, “But I’m still—!” He gasped as his lips were overtaken by Anakin’s and he felt himself slip into the alpha’s armms like two pieces of a puzzle. 

The kiss lasted for several minutes before Anakin pulled back just enough to speak. “You said you were barely in heat still.”

“I am, but...you’re an alpha—my future alpha...and I don’t know how a heat scent affects an alpha, I’ve never seen it.”

"Your heat scent isn't very strong now. I can ignore it pretty easily." Anakin connected their lips once more, holding his breath so he couldn't smell the scent very much being that close to Obi-Wan.

"Mmh, but you also tempt  _ me  _ like this. I am responding to your scent so close…"

Anakin sighed and stepped back. "Sorry, I just wanted to actually kiss you, and since the others aren't around, I thought it would be a good idea."

“I know—I like kissing you, too. Properly, without your mask.”

“One day I won’t have to worry about that mask…”

“Hopefully soon...we have Sith to chase off Voss, first.”

“Is there anything we can use to chase them away? Old blasters or any other weapons that might blast their ships out of orbit?”

“When Voss and Gormak fought, believing that they were not from the same ancestor, the Gormak had created weapons that could shoot down ships, but Voss had them destroyed before they could cause much damage. We only have smaller weapons, now. Blasters and vibroblades.”

“Do you know if any of those larger guns are still intact mostly? I could try to fix one up. One would be better than none.”

“They were blown up long, long ago. If they were still standing, they’d be rusted worse than the ship we took off in.”

Anakin nodded. “Right, well I guess I can repurpose some weapons to be stronger, but it looks like the only way we’re getting the Sith off the planet is to scare them so bad they wet themselves or we have a full on war.”

“Whatever the cost, we must protect Voss.”

“And we’re going to. We will get the Sith off Voss, and then we can marry and be together and not worry about the bad things in the galaxy.”

“But first, we need to plan our next moves. We need to find out what the situation is on Voss.”

“Of course. Safety of Voss is number one on the list.”

* * *

To be continued...


	6. Chapter 6

By the next late morning, Obi-Wan’s heat had ended and he took the time to clean himself up as properly as he could, and make himself look more presentable before moving to join where everyone else was gathered.

“I’m not sure we should stay here much longer.” he said, sitting down next to Anakin on a log outside the ship. “The Sith Outsiders may send a scout to check out the crash site, and after thinking on it, I’m frankly surprised we haven’t had a visitor already. We should finish hiding the cargo the Jedi sent with us, and try once more to contact them before abandoning the ship and set to doing our own scouting.”

“Probably the best plan." Anakin agreed. “We could make things go quicker if I try contacting the council and the rest of you move cargo. Artoo will help, and I will too when I get the chance.”

“There isn’t much left to move to the hiding spot we found yesterday. We moved the biggest, heaviest crates already. It had just gotten too dark last night to finish. It shouldn’t take us long.” Nodin-Va stated. “If we stack the smaller crates we can work together to get them transported in one trip, and the Jedi can meet us once he is done with trying to reach the Council.”

The two gormak nodded in agreement, as did Anakin. “I’ll go make that call. I’ll meet you guys either at the cargo bay or in the spot we’re hiding everything.”

He got up from his seat and headed to the holocom, turning it on and inserting the correct frequency. He waited as he watched the others leave the ship for the last time. They hadn’t known the ship for that long, but Anakin always hated leaving a ship behind that he had lived in. It was like losing a home, and maybe he was reminded that he didn’t really have a permanent home.

In the middle of his thoughts, the signal on the holocom finally went through, and a shaky blue image popped up of Master Windu. Anakin’s eyes lit up.

“Master Windu, can you hear me?”

“Knight Skywalker, we were starting to wonder if something happened.”

“I tried to contact the council before, but no one answered. I just assumed it was night on Coruscant.” Anakin sighed and looked around the ship. “We had to make a crash landing, just like the Mystic saw in his vision… The Sith are here too. There’s a whole barricade around the planet.”

“I see, so the Sith are confirmed to be back?”

“Unfortunately, yes. I can look up at the sky and see the ships that shot us down.”

“This is distressing news. We had hoped the Voss visitors were mistaken.” Mace sighed and nodded, “We will dispatch all available Jedi, but in the meantime, do what you can to start helping Voss.”

Anakin nodded. “We’ve got most of our intact cargo hidden away in the forest we crashed in. We should still be able to modernize Voss a little by the time we’re done here.”

“Good, I know they prefer to stay to themselves, but it would be good for them to at least keep some contact with the rest of the Galaxy.”

“It’ll be good in case the Jedi need me again. I…plan on staying on Voss for the foreseeable future.”

Mace frowned, “What?”

“I want to stay on Voss…with the Mystic.”

“The omega, you mean.” Mace sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, “Skywalker, alphas in the order are not barred from bonding with an omega, however you—” he sighed again, heavily, “You have attachment issues, and I would suggest that you in particular should restrain yourself from making a bond that could only cause you emotional issues as a Jedi.”

“I’ve been doing some thinking. Jedi aren’t required to stay in the order, and they can leave any time they want. I’d still be available for call, but… I don’t know. I think being a Jedi isn’t making me as happy as I want to be.”

“You aren’t just any Jedi, Skywalker.”

"So? I am still a Jedi, I have the same rights as any other Jedi."

"You are the chosen one. You must stay with the Jedi."

"Master Windu, I don't want to be a Jedi anymore. I want to stay here on Voss, live my life with an omega, have a family. With the Jedi, I won't get that because you say I have attachment issues, which I do, but they're only issues for Jedi."

“You are making a mistake, Skywalker, you have let that omega lead you astray. He isn’t worth it. There are millions of omegas out there in the galaxy.”

“I guess you wouldn’t understand what it’s like to have the right omega come into your life. You’re too busy keeping the peace and sitting on your rear all day to pursue any sort of relationship.” Anakin sighed.

“Don’t assume you know my personal life, Skywalker.”

“I don’t. But you obviously don’t understand what I’m going through. He’s had visions about me, visions that we were together and happy in. He wants me, and I know I want him. There’s no way I’m letting this chance slip through my fingers.”

“But you’ll sacrifice your life with the Jedi Order for a emotion-lacking omega? What about your duty to balance the Force?”

“My duty was what you told me. I’ve never been shown this prophecy written down anywhere, I’ve only been told about it by the council. So forgive me if I’d rather live a life that’s going to happen versus a life that I have no clue what I’m doing.”

“So when are you officially leaving the Order?”

“I don’t have a specific date yet, but it’ll probably be when the Sith are off Voss.”

“So this is your last mission?”

“Probably, yes.”

“I highly suggest, then, you think about this very carefully, and if you still think it is a good idea, present it to the full council on your mission debriefing.”

Anakin nodded. “I’ll think on it more. I don’t know when we’ll be able to contact you again, but we’ll be without a holocom for a while. We’ll expect help arriving in a few weeks.”

“Help will come as quickly as possible.” Mace assured him, “Is there anything else you’d like to report at this time?”

“No, Master, that’s all.”

“Very well. Report back in should you get the chance before help arrives.”

“Yes, Master.” The transmission cut out, leaving Anakin in silence. He sighed, tracing his fingers over some of the controls before shutting the holocom off. The thought briefly crossed his mind to ask Obi-Wan about a different set of clothes, some that were more like the Voss. His Jedi robes weren’t going to be much use to him for much longer.

Jumping down from the main level of the ship, Anakin landed with a grunt on the grass. All the undamaged cargo was gone already, so he headed towards the hiding spot in the forest.

* * *

Obi-Wan collapsed against the last crate after making sure it was well out of sight like the rest, breathing hard from the long trek with the heavy load. Taking a few breaths to calm his heart rate, he pulled out his cantine and took a large gulp of the water that was still in it.

Nodin-Va came up beside him and gently touched his shoulder. "You should rest now. You worked harder than you needed to."

“Harder than I’m used to, but I’m glad to have done my fair share in this task.” He said before finishing off his water. “Once Anakin joins us we should go refill our water supply.”

"I agree. We'll need plenty while we try to make it to the nearest village at least."

“Once we get there, I think it would be good if we get Anakin some Voss clothing so he can blend in as a Little Voss if the Sith are patrolling around. We wouldn’t want them alerted to the fact that there is a Jedi and possibly more Jedi to come.” The mystic proposed.

"Yes, getting caught now would not be beneficial to the mission."

“Until then, I’ll lend him my travel cloak. It’ll be small on him, but will help hide his Outsider clothing.”

"Perhaps his casual clothes he wore on the ship would work until we get him a full Voss wardrobe."

“Still obvious Outsider clothing.” Obi-Wan shook his head, “But It’s up to him.”

"We will discuss when he gets here. Hopefully soon. We will need to start thinking about lunch soon."

“We’re out of the food from the ship, we’ll have to hunt.” Rak-Ta stated.

Nodin-Va sighed. "Then I suppose we need to start that soon. Before Outsider Skywalker returns even."

“We will hunt." Rak-Ta said, “You two wait for the outsider, ready a fire to cook on, and refill our water supply.” he took out an extra blaster and handed it to Nodin-Va, “Protect Mystic Obi-Wan if something happens and we are not back yet.”

The Voss nodded, taking the blaster. "Good hunting."

The two Gormak nodded and left, leaving the Mystic and his interpreter alone.

Obi-Wan sighed, “I wish I could imagine as accurately as I can foresee events. This isn’t how I imagined our return to Voss going when we took to the stars.”

"But we found some help. If Outsider Skywalker can help us, this war may not be so ugly."

“I imagined more help and less impromptu Nightmare Land camping.” Obi-Wan shrugged.

"I'm sure Outsider Skywalker is doing the best he can. If his call was successful, then we may be getting more help after all."

There was a rustle in the trees that steadily got louder and louder. Nodin-Va went on high alert, hand on the blaster as he looked towards the direction of the sound. He slowly got closer to Obi-Wan until the bushes around the trees broke and out walked Anakin.

“Oh, it’s you.” Obi-Wan let out his held breath and relaxed, not knowing when he had tensed up.

"Just me." Anakin said with a smile. "Sorry, I should have made more noise."

“I suppose Nodin-Va and I got a little jumpy since we were left alone.” Obi-Wan shrugged. He stood up and moved over to Anakin, taking his hand.

"Where are the other two?" Anakin squeezed Obi-Wan's hand as he asked the question.

“Hunting. We are tasked with finding water and building a fire to cook over.”

"Alright, let's go find some water." Anakin said, pulling away from Obi-Wan to grab one of their empty water jugs.

“Hold on." Obi-Wan went over to where his bag was and he pulled out his travel cloak, “Put this on. I know it’s going to be a bit small on you, but it’ll hide your Jedi Outsider clothing until we get to the nearest village and can get you some Voss clothing. Blending in may help keep a low profile should the Sith Outsiders be around.”

"Makes sense." Anakin threw the cloak on, the edges just barely covering his shoulders. "It'll work for now."

“We’ll get you something that fits as soon as we can.” Obi-Wan promised, suppressing the urge to giggle at how his cloak fit his alpha.

"We’d better. I think I’m going to rip your cloak if I wear it for too long.”

“That’s fine if you do. I have more.”

“Mystic Obi-Wan has a bad habit of leaving them places and losing them.” Nodin-Va said.

“Oh, so you have a whole closet of them in your room or something?” Anakin chuckled.

Obi-Wan couldn’t help the flush that overtook his cheeks, “Something like that.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t lose them so often.” Anakin poked Obi-Wan’s nose with a smile. “You’ve got me around now to pick up your cloaks when you drop them.”

“I don’t even know where I lose them. I rarely leave the Shrine of Healing, so you would think I’d find them again in whatever room I left them in, but—I never do.”

“Magical disappearing cloaks. Always sneaking away when you’re not looking.”

“Exactly. Not my fault.”

“Someone probably just picks them up when they notice they’re gone. There’s probably a whole room dedicated to your dropped and missing cloaks.”

“I wouldn’t mind if they simply returned them to me. Set them outside my door with a note saying I lost one again.”

“I’ll make sure I do that from now on then.”

“Well, when you can. Some areas are limited access, and you would not be able to follow, even as my husband. Though as my husband, you will have access to my rooms and could take them inside rather than leave them outside the door.”

“I would think I’d not be allowed in pretty much every room in the temple.” Anakin shrugged. “But yeah, I'll take your cloaks into your room."

“There are the public rooms everyone has access to, the rooms of healing which has somewhat limited access, but you can be given a pass to visit if you are unwell, and there are rooms most do not get access to but being my husband you will have limited access to.” Obi-Wan shrugged slightly.

“You two speak as if this is a for-sure bonding.” Nodin-Va said.

“It is. I officially expressed my interest, he accepted. We only need to meet with my mother and have the ceremony.”

"I'll feel quite awkward if the mother doesn't approve." Anakin shrugged. 

“Don’t worry so much, she’ll approve of you.”

"I sure hope so. Otherwise the rest of my time here on Voss will be extremely awkward."

“It already will be. You’re not from Voss, and many will question why you are here, even married to a Mystic.” Nodin-Va said.

"Being the odd one out, I can handle." Anakin said. "Being rejected by his mom is another story."

“She’ll like you, because I love you, and she’s always said that’s what matters when choosing a partner in life.” Obi-Wan insisted.

Anakin blinked. "You love me…you  _ love  _ me?"

“I know as a Voss native I don’t express my emotions and feelings as openly and obviously as Outsiders are used to, but you had to have known I loved you based on the fact I did ask you to become my alpha and husband. It is not something to propose if love isn’t a shared feeling.”

"I know, but… Hearing you say it out loud makes me really happy." Anakin smiled and pulled Obi-Wan into a hug. "I love you too."

Obi-Wan hid his smile in Anakin’s shoulder, closing his eyes and breathing in his calming scent as they embraced. 

Nodin-Va cleared his throat, “We do have a river to locate.” he reminded the two.

"Right, we need water if we're going to survive here for long." Anakin said as he pulled away slightly. 

“Alright, lets locate water then collect wood.” Obi-Wan agreed, though he didn’t pull back far, opting to walk with Anakin closely.

Together the three moved on to find a source of water, carrying light conversation as they searched. Finally finding a creek with decent looking water, they filled their canteens and other containers. At some point in filling containers, Anakin and Obi-Wan were crouched next to each other. The blond got a mischievous smirk on his lips before he splashed some water at the redhead.

Obi-Wan’s eyes widened in shock as droplets hit his face and soaked sparsely into his hair and clothing. He turned his head to look at the smirking alpha, “What?” he blinked, confused.

Anakin jumped into the water, the small wakes just barely reaching the tops of his boots. He splashed more water towards Obi-Wan,sighing as he did so. "Don't tell me you've never had a water fight before."

“A water fight?” Obi-Wan repeated.

"Yeah, you know, you just splash people until everyone is soaked in water. It can honestly go on for a while." Anakin's hands were hovering on the surface of the water as he spoke.

“For what reason would you want to splash people until they are soaked?”

"Well, some people tend to look better when they're soaking wet… but it's a nice way to cool off too."

“But it’s not very hot out this morning? And besides, we—Stop that!” he said, automatically splashing Anakin back when the blond sent another splash of water at him. He paused, blinking.

Anakin's smile widened as water dripped off his face. "You fired back. We've got a fight on our hands now."

“No, I didn’t mean to, I—” More water splashed up at him and he yelped and tried to dodge the water. His sudden movement caused his feet to slip on the muddy bank and he found himself falling into the creek.

Anakin's mouth went into a surprised ‘O’ shape as he laughed, backing further into the water, careful not to get into the current. "Are you okay?"

“Get back here!” Obi-Wan pushed himself up, chasing after Anakin, intending to tackle him into the water so that he’d be just as wet and uncomfortable.

A bark of laughter escaped from the blond as he tried to run away as best as he could. Water splashed everywhere, his foot catching on a rock and almost making him fall face first into the water. "Just try and catch me!"

“Already—Got you!” the redhead said, lunging at the alpha and knocking him off balance so that they both went down, though he cupped the back of Anakin’s head to protect it from any rocks that may be there—luckily there wasn’t any rocks, and they only landed in the sandy mud along the bottom of the creek.

Anakin grunted as he hit the ground, water splashing around them. He smiled and laughed. "Guess you finally caught me."

“In general, omegas are light and fast while alphas are larger with more strength. You really had no chance keeping away from me.” he said matter-of-factly.

"Look at you knowing your facts. Smart omegas are quite attractive, you know."

“Don’t mock me.” the omega pouted, sitting up, his rear settled right on the half-hard lump in the alpha’s pants.

Anakin tilted his head to the side. "Never said I was mocking you."

“It’s not a show of smarts to know the biological facts taught to all as children. It is important to know your body’s advantages and weaknesses.”

"I think I'm still learning about my weaknesses…"…”

“I think I know one of your weaknesses, Alpha.” the omega flirted, rolling his hips and causing a small rubbing sensation upon the half-hard cock trapped in soaked fabric.

Anakin grunted a little, hands moving to Obi-Wan's thighs. "I think I know it too…"

“What is all this?” Nodin-Va interrupted them, standing by the bank with an armload of fallen branches he’d gone to collect when Anakin and Obi-Wan started filling jugs with water.

Obi-Wan flushed, looking up, “Anakin splashed me.” he said, as if that answered any and all questions the Voss had.

The blond looked up at the Voss and smiled sheepishly. "Just your average water fight…"

“You’ll both catch the sniffles! We don’t have dry clothing for you here, Mystic Obi-Wan, and for the Outsider at all unless he brought some from the ship.” Nodin-Va sighed, “Get out, we need to walk back and dry you off before your body temperatures drop too low.”

"If we must." Anakin said with a sigh, moving to get up, dragging Obi-Wan with him and maybe holding him a little closer than Nodin-Va would have liked.

They gathered all the water they had collected and started the trek back to their hiding place. By then, Obi-Wan was shivering and was eager to change into something dry and sit next to the fire Nodin-Va started building, He took his spare clothes from his bag and moved behind a few stacked crates to change.

Meanwhile Anakin stripped off his top layers, leaving him in just his pants and boots sitting next to the newly lit fire. He sighed as he wrapped his arms around himself, waiting for the fire to warm him up.

Once changed, Obi-Wan joined Anakin by the fire, pausing to glance over his exposed skin before he settled next to him, leaning against his side. “Didn’t bring extra clothing?”

"I did, just wanted my skin to get warm before I put another shirt on."

“Shirts help in getting warm, though.” Obi-Wan said, wiggling his way into Anakin’s arm as he wanted to be held.

Anakin wrapped an arm around Obi-Wan. "I'll survive. I'm getting warmer already anyways."

“Are you sure? You told me you are from a desert planet where it’s very, very hot all the time. So if you’re used to heat, you probably get cold very easy.”

Anakin shrugged. "I've been on colder planets. I can survive sitting next to a fire without a shirt on."

“If you’re sure. I’d not like it if you caught the sniffles. I could cure them, of course, but finding the resources out here would be difficult.”

"I can deal with a cold. I'll be fine." Anakin smiled as he hugged Obi-Wan closer.

“Are you sure? I know of many alphas who get very whiny and pathetic when they suffer the sniffles.”

"I'll be fine, don’t worry."

“You’re  _ my _ alpha, I do worry.”

"I know, but I'll be fine. It'll take more than just a little cold to take me down."

Nodin-Va walked over to them and held out a hand, “Lend me your light sword, Outsider. I need it to cut up the larger logs for the fire.”

Anakin looked up at the Voss, raising an eyebrow. "Uh...let me. Don't want you to accidentally cut a limb off or something."

“I know how to use a blade to cut things, Outsider.”

"Maybe, but this weapon isn't your typical vibroblade. I mean, it's not even a vibroblade, but it's dangerous if you don't know how to use it properly."

“I’m cutting wood, not fighting. I know not to touch the glowing part.”

"Still, I'm not too keen on letting a non experienced person use my lightsaber." Anakin removing his arm from Obi-Wan's shoulders and stood up. "I'll cut the wood."

Obi-Wan watched Anakin get up, “You’re not warmed up and completely dry yet.”

"I'll at least warm up moving the wood over. Besides, I really don't want to be held responsible for an accident I could have prevented."

“Fine, but if you catch the sniffles, I’ll let you suffer through them.” Obi-Wan joked.

"I'm not going to get sick." Anakin argued as he moved over to the wood pile.

Obi-Wan watched the Jedi go with a sigh, pulling his robe tighter around himself.

“Jumping into the creek was a rather reckless thing to do.” Nodin-Va said, sitting down next to the Mystic, “But I know you had wanted to spend more time alone with him before things get hectic and unpredictable. You’re not in heat any longer so I tried…”

“I know," Obi-Wan gave him a small smile, “And I thank you for it. I know you do not approve of my choosing an Outsider as my alpha, but…”

“Matters of the heart are not logical.” the Voss agreed before sighing and letting his shoulders relax as he leaned forward towards the fire, “He’ll be back soon. There isn’t much wood to cut. I had planned on getting it done quickly, then just waiting a bit to give you two more time to just relax together. I could try to find another excuse.”

“It’s fine, the other two should be back soon, I’d think. They are hunting for a small group, so they don’t need much.”

True to Nodin-Va’s word, Anakin was back quickly, clipping his lightsaber to his belt that he had fastened back around his hips, settling down next to Obi-Wan again. “Wood’s all cut up. We should have fuel for the fire for a while now.”

“Good.” Rik-Ol said as he and Rak-Ta appeared, holding three creatures in total. They were smaller animals and looked like snakes. No legs at all, a head attached to a long body that split off into three tails, their scaley skin showing off stripes of brown and a muted green. “We just need to skin them and prepare them for cooking, and we’ll be set for food until we reach a settlement.”

"Mind showing me how to do that?" Anakin asked as he moved closer to the Gomak.

“You wish to learn, Outsider?” Rak-Ta asked.

"I do, yeah. Is that alright?"

“I would question why bother?”

“Anakin plans to stay on Voss.” Obi-Wan said, “With me. I imagine he wishes to learn so he can help contribute to Voss society. The sooner he learns some skills here on Voss, the sooner he can be of help outside getting rid of the Sith Outsiders.”

The two Gormak each gave Anakin a rather grumpy look, but said nothing on the subject of his choice to stay with their Mystic. 

“Pay close attention. There is a venom sack that if you burst, it’ll contaminate the entire thing.” Rik-Ol said, turning to walk over to a place where they could do the messy job.

“Don’t poison the food. Got it.” Anakin watched closely, following the guidance of Rak-Ta and Rik-Ol as they went step by step with him. Every few steps they’d stop and point out some details of the animal, what was good to eat and what wasn’t, where to cut and what pieces to keep for things other than food. Soon all three creatures were skinned and meat prepared to be cooked, Anakin looking proud of his prepared animal that wasn’t quite as perfectly cut as the Gormak’s, but it was still decent looking.

“So how’d you do?” Obi-Wan asked, moving over to Anakin as they cleaned up their work space, not wanting the mess to attract any large predators.

“Not terrible. I nicked off a piece of meat accidentally when I was skinning the animal, but other than a few other minor things, I’d say I did pretty good.”

“Yes, he did adequate as he did not contaminate the meat and it looks not as mangles as most beginners.” Rak-Ta said.

“Never thought I’d hear my work be complimented by one of the Gormak.” Anakin smiled at Rak-Ta as he sat down next to Obi-Wan again.

The meat was placed over the heat of the fire to cook, and Obi-Wan curled up into Anakin’s side, watching the flames.

Anakin’s arm went around Obi-Wan’s shoulders again, holding him close while watching the fire. He shivered lightly, but tried to blow it off like it didn't matter. Obi-Wan didn't need to worry about him anyways. Having to deal with Sith taking over his home planet was a much bigger issue than simply being cold.

“You’re fooling yourself if you think I don’t notice your shivering.” Obi-Wan said in a low, soft voice.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Anakin smiled, leaning his head down on Obi-Wan's.

“Go put on your dry clothing, Anakin.”

"But then I have to get back up and not be next to you. I'm comfortable here."

“You can always come back and sit back down next to me you silly alpha.”

"I've already gotten up so many times."

“And yet you’re still half naked and shivering.”

"Because the fire is warm and so are you."

“And I’m pulling away from you now so you can go put a top on.” Obi-Wan said, pulling back.

Anakin groaned and stood up. "Okay, I'll go put a shirt on so you won't worry."

“Good.”

The blond was only gone for a few minutes, returning with a shirt and different pants on. He looked considerably more comfortable than he had before. A happy sigh escaped him as he sat back down. 

“Better?” Obi-Wan asked, resuming his comfortable position curled up into Anakin’s side and wrapping his arms around his middle.

"Now that I'm back with you, yeah." Anakin chuckled.

“You’re hopeless.” Obi-Wan said with a small smile.

"Good thing I have you then."

“Food’s done.” Rik-Ol said, taking the meat off the sticks holding them over the fire. “Eat quickly and we’ll get moving.”

* * *

To be continued...


	7. Chapter 7

The group of five made their way through the Nightmare Lands at a steady pace, determined to find the nearest village. Getting out of the forest was long, but finally they reached the edge, their ship long left behind and their cargo left in the hiding spot they had camped at. Artoo stayed behind to guard the cargo, and they had explained to the droid that it could be a long while before they would be able to return, so they had also made sure the droid had a portable charging port and shelter from the elements.

Anakin hung at the back of the group, protecting them from any surprise ambushes from animals or Sith. His lightsaber was in his hand, finger on the trigger and ready for anything that might pop up. Luckily they made it through the trees without any incident, and exiting out into the open, they were able to better see just how bad the Sith situation was.

There were dark smoke clouds in the distance, presumably from a village that had been too late to save. A road nearby seemed to lead to it, but the other way seemed to also lead to a village, and considering there wasn’t any smoke in that direction, it seemed like the most logical way to go.

Anakin glanced over at the smoke clouds, making a disgusted face as he watched, seeing parts of the clouds reflecting the light from the fires below. He shivered, disturbed a bit by the thought of an entire village reduced to rubble. “Sure hope there’s a village close by. I don’t think that way is too safe." he said, gesturing towards the smoke.

“There should be another village in the opposite direction." Rik-Ol said, leading the party onto the road and away from the smoke. 

“Hopefully it’s a larger one.”

On they walked through the day, stopping if they saw a close water source to fill up canteens. Anakin was warned not to start another water fight with Obi-Wan, which he respected of course. He didn’t want to change clothes yet again. Besides, he didn’t want to push his luck with the Voss and Gormak any more. Having the water fight was really pushing the boundaries to the limits, especially when Nodin-Va had caught them with Obi-Wan  _ straddling  _ Anakin.

Anakin felt his face get warm as he looked up at Obi-Wan a few meters ahead of him. He was excited to finally be engaged to that wonderful omega, despite only meeting him a short time ago. He just felt so right to be around, and Anakin loved that little flutter of excitement in his chest that he felt everytime Obi-Wan smiled at him. He also just really wanted a longer moment alone with him, like their meditation sessions they had while on the ship. Moments to just be with each other and learn more and more about each other’s likes and dislikes.

Anakin was lost in his thoughts until they finally reached the anticipated village. He shook his head clear and focused instead on the village and the people who were walking about, some stopping to look at the approaching party. Anakin knew he could have been considered a Little Voss, as they were called, but he still felt awkward as Voss and Gormak stared at him He knew his clothes did nothing to make him blend in, but at least he wasn’t wearing his Jedi robes. His loose tunic, pants, and dried mud covered boots were a start for a good disguise.

The natives Anakin was traveling with kept a steady pace forward, approaching the group of villagers who were gathering in their unease of everything that has been happening on Voss. They didn’t know if the travelers brought news or what.

Then one female Voss’ face lit up in recognition and she stepped forward from the gathered group, “Mystic Obi-Wan!” she exclaimed and everyone behind her seemed to relax a little. “Forgive us, we did not recognize you at first.”

“I’m glad you have recognized me even without my usual state of dress. I’m sure many are wary with the attacking Outsiders.” Obi-Wan said, looking up at the tall woman.

Female Voss, it seemed, all had red skin while the male all had blue. Gormak, however, had little indication between the genders from what Anakin noticed.

“I had a vision that Voss-Ka is gone, but I foresaw little more of the destruction the Outsiders have wrought. Do you know anything more?” Obi-Wan continued.

Eyes flickered to Anakin, but no one said anything about him.

“You do not know more? I thought—when I recognized you as a Mystic—that they had taken over the Shrine of Healing and you escaped…” the female Voss said.

Obi-Wan shook his head, “I Foresaw the Outsider’s coming and my companions and I took to the stars to find help against the Outsider threat. We’ve only just returned and do not know anything more than what my Vision on the way back showed.” He turned and gestured to Anakin, “The attacking Outsiders have enemies who are now our allies. More are coming to help save Voss.”

Eyes moved to Anakin again to take him in.

“Could we get him some Little Voss clothing so that the Outsiders who threaten Voss will not be alerted to the help that is coming, should he be spotted?” Obi-Wan requested. “We will compensate for anything given.”

The female who had done all the speaking so far walked over to Anakin, looking down at him and taking him in, “You seem about the same size as my husband. You may have some of his clothes. Follow me, Outsider.”

Anakin glanced at Obi-Wan before following the Voss woman to what he assumed was her home. Everything seemed so tall, which made sense, considering the Voss were quite tall. Anakin was on the taller side by human standards, but here amongst the Voss, he could easily imagine what it felt like to be an omega looking up to tall alphas.

“Nice place." he said, something to fill the silence.

“It’s not much, but it’s home.” she said, opening the door. Once the door was open the sound of children playing drifted out, soon followed by the source. A Little Voss girl that looked about four and two Voss boys who were somehow about the same height came rushing forward to cling to the woman’s legs, and her expression turned gentle as she greeted each child with a fond touch to the head.

“You’re back early.” a man who was about the same height and build as Anakin said, walking over carrying a Voss baby with red skin.

“The Mystic who healed Arna-Le when she became ill a year ago has come to the village. He brought with him this Outsider and has requested Voss clothing for him to help in the fight against the Outsider threat. I offered up some of yours, my love.”

“An Outsider helping to end the Outsider threat?” the man asked, looking at Anakin.

“I’m a Jedi." Anakin explained. “After we heard there was a possible threat from the Sith coming, we knew we had to help as soon as we could. There are more Jedi on their way here as we speak.”

The man handed the baby girl off to his wife and nodded, “A Mystic has brought you here, you don’t need to explain. I was simply surprised. Come, I’ll find you something to wear.”

“Thank you.” Anakin followed the man, feeling slightly more normal when they entered a room that was more human sized in the furnishings, at least. “You’ve got beautiful kids.”

“Thank you, they are truly our little treasures. Do you have children, Outsider?” he asked, opening a drawer and digging through to find something to give to Anakin.

“No, I don’t have any sort of family really. Although…hopefully soon I will.”

“Here. Two sets, just in case. Feel free to change in here.” he said, setting out two folded outfits.

“Thanks again.” Anakin took one set and went behind a changing screen that was set up in the corner of the room. He came out looking like a Voss native, his old clothes folded up in his arms. “These are very comfortable. Fit well too.”

“Good. You should return to the Mystic. I have to finish getting the kids ready to leave—some of us parents are taking all the children someplace hopefully safe from Outsider attacks.”

“I hope you find a safe place. I would hate to see any kids get hurt while the Sith are here.” Anakin grabbed the rest of the clothes and took them with him as he left the room and went back to the front of the house. He smiled at Obi-Wan once he approached his little party once more outside the home.

Obi-Wan glanced over at Anakin, and his eyes stuck, pink spreading over his cheeks as he took in the sight of his alpha wearing the simple but flattering Voss clothing.

“How do I look? Do I fit in now?” Anakin spun in place, letting Obi-Wan get a good look at him.

“You look like Voss.” Obi-Wan said with his smallest smile he had expressed in the beginning before he’d started showing his emotions more openly around Anakin. “We have been informed of what little is known here about what is happening with the Outsider’s attack. It seems the Shrine of Healing has not been hit yet, which is good. The other Mystics are all safe, still.”

“So should we head to the shrine? That would be the safest place around here, right?”

“I wouldn’t say safe. The Sith Outsiders are aiming to... _ enslave _ all us Mystics, after all. Use our ability to see the future in order to take over the Stars. But we should return there.”

“We should grab all the Mystics there and take them somewhere else. Maybe to the Nightmare Lands, where our stuff is hidden. We can make a little base there and hunker down until more Jedi get here.”

“Such things must be discussed and agreed upon.” Obi-Wan said with a shake of his head before he reached up to cup the alpha’s jaw, “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you’re there with me the whole time.”

“I mean, I didn’t expect to be anywhere but by your side through this whole thing.” Anakin smirked and wrapped an arm around Obi-Wan’s waist.

“We are being supplied with proper transportation, so it shouldn’t take us too long to get there.”

“That’s a relief. Not that I’m tired of walking but…I’m tired of walking.”

Obi-Wan let out a small chuckle, ignoring the looks it got from the villagers. “We leave tonight. Arriving at night will decrease the chances of the Outsiders noticing us.”

Anakin nodded. “So, do we hang out here in the village until then? Maybe I can get a bag or something to put my clothes in, so I’m not carrying them awkwardly all the time.”

“You could put them in my bag. There’s space, and the less we travel with, the better.”

“If you’re okay with that. Wouldn’t want your bag to get too heavy.”

“We aren’t walking this time, it’s fine.”

“If you’re sure. I don’t want you to be worried about more things than you already are.”

“Why would I worry about your clothes being in my bag? Don’t be so silly. Come on, we should all rest before nightfall.”

“Right. We’ve got a stealth mission to deal with tonight.” Anakin smiled as he went along with the party to find a place to rest.

* * *

That night the group loaded up into a piece of junk that the voss claimed was a speeder, but Anakin doubted the thing would actually get them to the shrine in one piece. It seemed every bit of “modern” tech on Voss was so old and decrepit that it was a Force-willed miracle that any of it even worked.

Thankfully Anakin could tweak the speeder a bit so that it functioned a little better. He didn’t exactly trust the speeder however. He just hoped the Force would be merciful and would get them get to the temple in one piece.

The blond turned to Obi-Wan. “Alright, ready to go?”

"Are you? You’re the one who has been tinkering around with the thing." Obi-Wan smirked. 

Anakin chuckled. “Yeah, I’m more than ready, though I hope this thing doesn’t break down on us on the way. I’m afraid to even look at it the wrong way. Hopefully the Force favors us tonight.”

"It'll be fine." Obi-Wan got into the front passenger seat. 

“Don’t be afraid to grab my arm if things get hairy.” Anakin started up the speeder, and it spurted a couple times before it finally settled into a steady idle. “Force, this better work…”

“No Voss would put a Mystic in a faulty speeder, Outsider.” Nodin-Va said from the back seat, “It’s perfectly safe as long as you operate it safely.”

“Right, safe.” Anakin sighed and urged the speeder forward. He silently thanked the Force that it actually moved forward.

“It’s fine, Anakin. You just aren’t used to it like the rest of us are.” Obi-Wan said.

“I’m glad we brought modern tech with us, because this thing needs to be scrapped. Not even for parts. I don’t trust the parts it has.”

“It’s not shiny, but it works.”

“Yeah, my only concern is how much longer it’ll work.” Shrugging, Anakin guided the speeder through trails marked on the ground, coordinates to the shrine of healing plugged into the speeder’s navigation systems.

“It’s fine, really. Just be careful on the narrow ledge ahead. We don’t want to fall. These speeders don’t fly like yours on Coruscant.”

“Old speeders like this one are more designed for land travel. There are a few older models out there than can handle taking to the skies, but not very many. Lucky we are in the modern age and technology now is the best it’s ever been. We can tweak and repair older technology to run almost as good as modern.”

“Well, with your speeder broken, this is what we have. We’ll get to the Shrine of Healing in no time.”

“That speeder really wasn’t the best anyways.”

Traveling through the night, they finally made it to the shrine. The night was quiet, the distant sounds of explosions the only thing breaking the silence. Anakin jumped out of the speeder and looked at the entrance to the shrine to take it all in.

Obi-Wan slipped out of the speeder, grabbing his bag and moving straight for the grand entrance, his protectors hurrying on either side of him before he got too far.

Nodin-Va lingered behind with Anakin, “It seems he’s eager to be home in a familiar environment. Travel must have been harder on him than he’s let on.”

“Well, he did have two heats away from home, and I know that was uncomfortable for him. I’m glad he’s back home and feels better, even if the Sith are attacking Voss.”

“That’s why we can’t let the Sith reach the Shrine of Healing. We must protect all our Mystics, including Obi-Wan. This is the best place for them to be, because this is where all the past Mystics are bound to, the Mystics of today have a spiritual bond here. Making them all leave to run from the SIth should be a last resort.”

“So all the past Mystics are connected to the shrine? What happens to them if the shrine falls to the Sith? Do they just get sucked up? Like Mystic ghost soup or something?”

“That’s the worst part—we don’t know. We don’t want them taking our current mystics, of course, but if they have a way to also take the souls of past mystics and all their combined power…”

“It could be disastrous. I’ll do everything I can to keep the shrine and the Mystics safe. Hopefully our additional help will be here in a few weeks to keep the shrine protected.” Anakin looked back at the entrance of the shrine, noting that he couldn’t see Obi-Wan. “We should get in there, make sure everything is okay.”

Nodin-Va agreed, “This way, Outsider. We’ll have to explain you to the shrine’s guards so they know you will be staying as a Mystic’s guest and not just another in need of healing.”

“I don’t look like I need healing, do I? So they should just leave me alone and we can tell them I’m with Obi-Wan.”

“Visiting rules here can be strict at times, and I’m sure many Voss have come seeking refuge from the Outsider attacks.”

“Okay, so looking like I’m fine won’t be enough for them then. Whatever works. This is possibly the start of a war anyways. Gotta be cautious.”

“It’ll be better for you to be here as Mystic Obi-Wan’s guest, anyway. Each Mystic’s rooms include a room for guests to stay in. Usually it is used by their visiting family, but there is no rules against non-family guests using the room. It will be good to have you in that area of the shrine as added protection for the Mystics.”

“Wow, you’re actually letting me stay in his room with him. I honestly expected me to be placed in a room as far away from Obi-Wan as possible.” Anakin smirked.

“In his guest room. You are not to enter his bedchamber.”

“Well, if his guest room is close to his bedchamber, I may have to go in there sometimes, especially if he’s in danger.”

“Not until after the marriage vows.”

“What if there’s an attacker in his room? Am I supposed to just stand outside and watch?”

“The personal bedchambers of the Mystics are the safest places for them on Voss. Only the Mystic residing there may enter, their husband or wife once they take one is permitted, as is any children they have. It is an old spell placed upon those rooms by Voss ancestors.”

“Does that spell prevent people not married or related to the Mystics from entering?”

“Correct. It was done long before the Little Voss became part of Voss, but it in particular is good in protecting our omega Mystics during their heats, though they have to leave their nests to get their meals from outside the door.”

“So how does the spell know who to let in and who to keep out? Does the Mystic tell the spell who it can let in? Or is there like a chemical reaction going on?”

“I do not know everything.”

“Right… So the spell won’t even let in a potential mate? Like he asked me to be his alpha and I accepted, but the spell still won’t let me into his bedroom?”

“No, you are not officially bonded.”

Anakin sighed, rolling his eyes a little. “What a downer. But I guess there is always my room, so hey, cheat the system.”

Nodin-Va narrowed his eyes at the Jedi, “Do  _ not  _ touch him.”

"Relax, I was only implying we could kiss more in private, that's all." Anakin gave an innocent look to the Voss.

“That would be touching.” the Voss practically hissed.

"At least it's not sex. At least be happy that I'm respectful enough to not be with him unless he asks me to."

“By Voss law, you have no right to touch him until you wed. We are on Voss, now. Remember that. You may spend time with him, but there will be no touching.”

"Alright, I won't touch him again until we're married." Anakin sighed as they approached the guards at the entrance of the shrine.

“This is Mystic Obi-Wan’s guest.” Nodin-Va said, gesturing at Anakin, “I imagine he already informed you?”

“He did.” one guard said before looking at Anakin, “Do not wander where you should not be.” 

With that, they were gestured inside.

The Shrine was an impressive temple that dwarfed even the tall Voss with its towering pillars, impressive balconies, and high ceilings, all carved and shaped stone. The whole space was lit by torches and candles. It was easy to imagine this was what it must have been like for ancient Jedi who lived in the many old Jedi Temples around the Galaxy that have been long abandoned and had fallen to ruins.

Obi-Wan was standing half-way up one of the grand staircases, speaking with another Little Voss, one much older than him.

“Go, I must go make our mission report.” Nodin-Va said before leaving Anakin’s side to head through one of the many doors.

Anakin watched Nodin-Va leave before he turned his attention back to Obi-Wan. Taking a deep breath, he headed over to the redhead, ignoring the looks he was receiving from everyone else in the temple. Yes, he had his lightsaber hooked into his belt, but he hoped he looked friendly still in the Voss clothing he wore. Anakin tried to look as relaxed as possible as he climbed up the stairs and finally reach Obi-Wan and the older little Voss.

As he approached, Obi-Wan turned to give him a small smile, “I wondered where you were.”

“Just stayed behind to talk to Nodin-Va.” Anakin smiled, then looked at the other Little Voss. “Hi, are you another Mystic?”

“I am.” She gave a small nod of her head.

“Elder Mystic Tah-Lee was just catching me up on a few important visions the others have had while I was away.”

“And learning about you, Outsider.” Tah-Lee said with a knowing sparkle in her eye, “Voss thanks you for coming to our aid.”

“I’m more than glad to be helping. It’s the least I can do for a world that is so out of touch with the rest of the galaxy. Voss is far more exposed than it should be.”

“It hasn’t been an issue in the past. But Voss has changed. The Voss of the past would have been ready for this threat, Voss of today are not. We have been at peace for too long, our weapons are no longer designed for dealing with threats.” she said with a barely noticeable sigh and tired slouch to her shoulders, “It’s all we can do to try and relocate as many Voss to safer locations as possible, but we have still lost so many. Voss-Ka didn’t have a chance, we did not foresee the attack to evacuate it, and we lost nearly everyone who was there in our capital—including The Three, so now Voss all look to us Mystics for guidance beyond our visions, but we…”

“...Are not prepared for this.” Obi-Wan finished, “We are healers, not leaders.”

“We must have Voss vote for a new Three, but everything is scattered and our communication devices are unstable and are tapped into by the Outsiders. We cannot organize the emergency vote.” Tah-Lee added.

Anakin nodded. “I can see if I can repair any holocomms. I have tools to do so, plus I can fix ships, weapons, and droids. Anything mechanical, I can work on. Not saying I’ll be able to make everything work again, but I can sure try. I want Voss to be safe and protected just as much as all its inhabitants.”

“It’s not that they don’t work, it’s that the Outsiders are doing something to the signal, and we suspect they use it to spy on us. We had to stop using them in order to keep the Outsiders from learning more than they already know of Voss.”

“I bet I can boot them from the signal on a couple of devices. That way Voss has at least a few ways to communicate.”

“Such a thing is possible?”

“If you’ve got the right tools, yeah. We can jam their signal so our signal is open again. Jamming their signal might not give us much time, especially if they’re using technology that can recognize a virus in their systems. It’d be risky, but we could do it and gain some time if we do it right.”

“I’m not sure I understand everything you’re speaking of, but if it helps Voss…” she nodded, “We’ll see about getting you whatever you need.”

“It’ll help, hopefully. Plus we have more help on the way. Once they come, we’ll have a better chance of running the Sith off Voss.”

“Well, you should get settled in first, then I’m sure someone can show you to the Shrine’s communication room so you can figure out a list of things you’ll need. It was good to meet you, Outsider.” she said before continuing her way down the steps.

Obi-Wan nodded and took Anakin’s hand, “Come, you’ll be in my guest room.”

“So I’ve been told." Anakin said with a smile. “Nodin-Va got onto me about not touching you and told me about the spell thing that prevents me from going into your bedroom. I told him you could just come to my room and cheat the system.”

Obi-Wan blinked at him, “What spell?”

Anakin tilted his head. “He told me there was a something like a spell on the entrance to your bedroom that kept anyone but family and mates out… He may have told me that just to discourage me from going into your bedroom.”

“There is heightened security devices, but anyone I allow into my room can enter.”

“Yeah, he was totally pulling my leg and just didn’t want me in your bedroom…” Anakin sighed.

“Nodin-Va’s been by my side for a long time. He was one of my guides when I went on my pilgrimage. I know his feelings about me are strong, and not exactly parental in nature. He is increasingly jealous of you, but is trying to respect my choice.” Obi-Wan stated as he led Anakin along the huge maze of a building until they finally paused at a door. The redhead unlocked it and stepped inside, lights flickering on to show a comfortable apartment.

“Cozy. Smells nice too.” Anakin stepped in behind Obi-Wan, looking around and noting how very Obi-Wan the apartment was.

“I try to air it out after my heat period, but the scent lingers after so many.” Obi-Wan said, setting his bag down on a couch, “Refresher’s through the frosted door, there, and this is the guest room, through here.” he opened the door to a small room providing a bed and simple basic comforts.”

“Should work as a living space for now. I told this to Nodin-Va, but I’m surprised I was even allowed to room with you. I thought they’d put me on the other side of the temple as far away from you as possible.”

“It was my choice to keep you close. Nodin-Va only agreed when he realized you’re still a Jedi and can be extra protection in this wing of the Shrine.”

“Lucky me.” Anakin smiled and wrapped his arms around Obi-Wan, kissing him in the middle of the front room.

Obi-Wan smiled into the kiss and pushed himself up onto his toes so that he was firmly showing his alpha that he approved of the kiss.

It was too easy to lift Obi-Wan off his feet and hold him up by his waist. Anakin wrapped his arms tighter around the omega so he wouldn’t drop him, one hand eventually moving to cup Obi-Wan’s rear.

The omega’s legs wrapped around Anakin’s waist, helping to support his weight as his lips continued to move against his. Then he pulled back and gestured at the third door, “And that’s my bedchamber.”

Anakin smirked, a dark look in his eyes as he moved towards the door. The room wasn’t protected by a spell, like Nodin-Va had told him it was. He almost felt sorry for taking Obi-Wan away from the Voss who had a developed crush on him. 

Almost.

Obi-Wan reached out behind himself to activate the door and let them in. The room was calming and comfortable with a bed so large, all the omega’s nesting materials were folded nicely at the foot of it without being a bother to the sleeping omega when he didn’t need all the extra pillows and blankets. Moonlight shone into the room from the large windows along one wall, the sheer curtains filtering the light only slightly. It made quite a romantic atmosphere.

Anakin carried Obi-Wan over to the bed and set him down, pulling away for a bit only to come back close again and kiss the redhead’s neck, right where the scent gland was. The smell there was so strong, it made the blond shudder a little and caused a small crooning sound to escape his throat.

Moaning, the redhead shifted under Anakin, stretching out to allow the alpha access to his body. “Alpha.” he whispered into Anakin’s ear.

Crooning louder, Anakin pushed Obi-Wan back on the bed, pinning his arms down as he reconnected their lips, the new kiss being stronger and more demanding than the previous. The blond’s crooning almost had a possessive growling undertone to it.

“Yes!" Obi-Wan gasped out, wiggling slightly as his hands moved under Anakin’s shirt, “Alpha, yes.”

Pulling back, the alpha shoved Obi-Wan further on the bed. He crawled on top of the omega and started shoving clothes out of the way where he could, craving to see that beautiful pale skin Anakin knew covered all of the omega’s body. He tilted his head to the side as his interest to see Obi-Wan with little to no clothes grew. His crooning soon turned into a little growl, one word coming out as he did so. “Omega.”

A whimper escaped the omega, but not in a bad way as his body shifted to accommodate the alpha’s greedy hands’ task of stripping him of his clothing. No, the whimper was needy, it was one that begged without words. It was a whimper of willing submission which Anakin accepted the submission with a happy croon, shoving his hands up under Obi-Wan’s tunics and pushing them up and off the redhead. He groaned at the sight before him, the pale omega looking at him needily and silently begging to be taken. The only thing that stood in Anakin’s way was Obi-Wan’s trousers and boots, and they would be so easy to take away. Force, his alpha mind was running wild with images of the omega beneath him, begging, whining, pleading as much as he dared to.

Anakin gripped the sheets beside Obi-Wan’s body, feeling blood rushing to his groin. This was how the water fight should have ended, he thought to himself as he straightened up and removed his own tunics, tossing the dark blue fabric adorned with gold embroidery to the floor.

Obi-Wan reached forward, running his hands over Anakin’s chest as he shifted and pressed his soft lips to the sun-kissed skin on the alpha’s shoulder, they parted slightly and he gave a little suck, taking the skin into his mouth just enough to leave a small mark.

Anakin groaned and leaned down, pressing his torso against Obi-Wan’s to the point where he was supporting himself by his elbows, their hips mere centimeters away from each other as the alpha took the redhead’s lips once more in a kiss. Despite their hips not quite touching, Anakin was sure that Obi-Wan could feel his erection through his pants.

The sweet scent that was Obi-Wan had grown stronger, and the omega shifted again under the alpha, his hips lifting slightly—just enough where their erections brushed against each other. Under him, the wetness from slick had begun to soak through his remaining layers, and his body was flushed with the warmth of need. He wasn’t in heat, but omegas didn’t need to be in heat for their bodies to get excited.

“Please…” Obi-Wan whispered.

“Do you want this?” Anakin asked in a husky voice.

“Yes, with you—I want it with only you.”

“It’s not illegal for me to touch you like this?”

“Of course not. It isn’t as if I told you ‘no’.”

Anakin smiled and growled happily, shifting his hips to grind against the omega. “You’re mine only." he said.

Obi-Wan gasped and shivered, “All yours, Alpha.” he promised, “My body is for your touch only, so please...let me feel your claim on me.”

The alpha sat back, then climbed off the bed before moving to take Obi-Wan's boots and trousers off, moving slowly to tease the omega, then he removed his own pants and boots. The two of them were finally together in the heat of a moment that Anakin honestly didn't expect to happen until after they were married, but here they were, undressed and in need of each other in the moonlight.

Obi-Wan was staring at him, eyes drifting down to his crotch where they lingered. He blinked and tilted his head, “I had heard that an alpha was much bigger than a male omega was, but I still never imagined…” he reached out a bold hand and touched the hardened cock that stood so proudly, watching it twitch under his fingers, “...will it fit?”

"Considering how wet you are now, I think it will. We just need to get you prepared enough." Anakin rolled his hips forward, head tilting to the side and a slight smirk forming on his lips.

“I hope it’ll fit...my toys are...not up to your standard, so…” Obi-Wan pulled back and hung himself off the opposite edge of the bed as he pulled out a box and grabbed his largest dildo from it before crawling back over to Anakin, “This is the largest I’ve had in me…”

Anakin looked at it, then back at Obi-Wan. "Don't worry, if I don't fit, we'll do what we can. I promise I won't hurt you."

Obi-Wan nodded, “I want to try to take you all in—it’d be easier while in heat, I think, because that’s how my body’s made, but I don’t want to wait that long. Especially since things will be getting hectic soon and we’ll not likely have time alone like this. So please...be gentle until we know how much I can take.”

"I will be." Anakin smiled and cupped Obi-Wan's face while crawling back onto the bed. 

“Thank you.” Obi-Wan pressed a kiss to his cheek, his own flushing pink before he rolled over onto his front and propped his rear up, head still down on the mattress as he fell into the perfect submissive position, offering himself up to the alpha he’d chosen.

Anakin couldn't hold back the groan building up in his throat. Even when not in heat Obi-Wan was the perfect omega, getting down the submissive position perfectly on the first go. It made Anakin's alpha side go completely nuts. He managed to hold himself back as he simply gazed over Obi-Wan. His own hand ran down his body and stopping at his cock, grabbing the base of it and squeezing a little. "Force, you're hot." he hissed out, taking his hand away from himself and reaching out to run light fingertips over the pale skin of Obi-Wan's hips.

The omega shivered and peeked up at him out of the corner of his eye, not moving from his position.

Pleased. His alpha was pleased with him, he realized, and he felt a heat tremble through him, his hole dripping as more slick formed, readying his body for that thick alpha cock.

The blond moved his hand to Obi-Wan's dripping hole, gently spreading around the slick and using it to ease a finger into the redhead. His other hand was comfortingly and supportingly resting on the small of Obi-Wan's back.

The redhead let out a small moan, shifting a hand up to his lips as the other gripped the fabric of the blanket under them. It was only a finger, just one, but he felt more sensitive to it than any of his toys. Maybe because he controlled his toys and that single finger was controlled by another who was exploring his body for the first time. Probably. Definitely—all he cared about was the fact that the touch of his alpha was enough to make his mind go numb, even when he wasn’t in heat.

So how would that touch feel when he was? Obi-Wan’s cock twitched in excitement at the thought.

Soon another finger joined the first one inside the omega, and Anakin moved them in and out, curling them and twisting them to work Obi-Wan open, to prepare him to take Anakin's alpha cock for the first time. He offered some words of encouragement and praise, telling Obi-Wan how well he was handling Anakin's fingers and what a good omega he was. The blond couldn't help but rub small circles on his omega's back.

He moaned louder, shifting his rear back to try and take the fingers inside him deeper. “Alpha—Alpha, please.  _ Ah _ !” he bit down on his curled finger.

Anakin had worked in three of his fingers before he couldn't wait any longer to take Obi-Wan and claim him as his omega. He removed his fingers and grabbed the redhead's hips. "Just relax, this'll go in easier if you do."

Whimpering at the loss, Obi-Wan glanced up at his alpha, his legs parting a little more to make room for him, “Please, Alpha.” he begged again.

The blond shuffled closer to Obi-Wan's hips, hands gentle while he guided his cock to line up with the leaking hole just waiting for him. He was ever gentle, pressing inside just the tip to let Obi-Wan feel and adjust to him.

“Oh…” Obi-Wan’s eyes widened at the stretch and he sucked in a breath before relaxing and closing his eyes with a moaning “So good…”

Anakin let out a slow sigh as he pushed in more of his cock, closing his eyes being overwhelmed by the sensation of Obi-Wan squeezing and relaxing around him. It just felt so damned good, he was glad they were in the right mood at the right time. Waiting until they were married to do this was simply too long to wait. They might wait to share a heat together perhaps, but out of heats they didn’t have to worry about pregnancies and the flying hormones that came with heats. Here they could just enjoy each other, have conscious minds and thoughts and tell each other what felt good and what didn’t.

When Anakin was inside with his full length, he put a hand back on the small of Obi-Wan’s back. “Knew it would fit." he said with a bit of snark in his voice and a smirk on his face.

“So full—that’s—that’s all of it?” Obi-Wan whined out with a voice weak with pleasure.

“Yeah, that’s all of it. Take your time, I won’t go on until you tell me to.” Anakin rubbed circles into Obi-Wan’s back again.

“It—it’s not painful but I’m so…full, so just for a moment…” Obi-Wan took a few slow, deep breaths as he grew used to the feeling of being stretched around an alpha— _ his  _ alpha—his wonderful alpha with such a large cock to fill him, and—

Oh

He bit his lip as he felt his body react to his thoughts, tightening around Anakin as if it was trying to suck him in even deeper. It was then he realized he wasn’t just ready for more—he craved it. He wanted the full experience of being fucked and knotted by his alpha.

He opened his eyes and glanced up again, “I’m ready, Alpha, please.”

Anakin nodded and shifted his knees a little before he pulled his hips back with a groan, pushed back in, and started up a pace that was gentle and easy for Obi-Wan to handle. At first he only moved partly in and out, figuring that taking the whole length of his cock right off the bat being a bit too much to start out with in terms of thrusts.

The omega hummed, trying to push his rear back onto Anakin’s cock, but the alpha’s hands held him firmly in place. “Alpha, so big..”

As they grew more comfortable, Anakin picked up the pace, keeping Obi-Wan’s hips steady as he did so. The bed rocked slightly with each thrust, and Anakin was glad it didn’t make too much noise when moving. He sure as hell hoped that the walls weren’t thin either. If Nodin-Va heard any sort of sexual sound coming from Obi-Wan’s bedroom, Anakin would be in the most trouble he had ever been in.

And Obi-Wan wasn’t holding back; his moans and cries of pleasure proudly leaping from his agape lips, only muffled when the blankets under them bunched up just right to cover his mouth.

Over and over the alpha’s hips met the omega’s ass, moans and grunts escaping their mouths as they continued to increase the pace, go a little deeper and a little harder. Every thrust felt like bliss beyond comprehension. Every little movement together felt glorious. 

Anakin closed his eyes and tipped his head back at some point, letting out a low groan as he felt heat start to pool up in the depths of his belly. He knew he was getting close, and by the sounds of it, Obi-Wan was too. Reaching their limits together was ideal, but it was even better if the omega hit his before the alpha. A show of dominance, possessiveness, Anakin making Obi-Wan come before he did and having him ride it out until he eventually knotted, that was the dream. Anakin was going to hold off as long as he could to make that happen.

Obi-Wan’s moans were starting to turn into whimpers, his small cock twitching between his legs as a warmth began to pool in his gut. “Alpha! Alpha I—!” He yelped out, his body going stiff as his inner muscles contracted around Anakin and he fell into pure pleasure, another gush of slick escaping his hole around Anakin, the mess dripping down his thighs, adding to the mess that began to leak out his cock. He whimpered, his hole twitching, searching for a knot to lock with.

Anakin groaned while Obi-Wan orgasmed, his head snapping up and eyes opening to look down at the omega. He thrust hard a couple more thrusts before his rhythm broke and his hips jerked before he too reached his orgasm. He groaned loudly, pushing his cock in as far as it would go as he felt his knot grow, then he was locked into the redhead filling Obi-Wan with his cum in a pointless breeding attempt. Still, it felt good to release inside an omega that potentially held the promise of pups one day.

Obi-Wan squirmed as he was stretched even more, locked into place on his alpha’s cock, and then he was mewling, biting down on his finger as he came again, his body clamping down even further on Anakin in satisfaction as a second, larger mess formed below Obi-Wan’s elevated ass on the blankets. He trembled under Anakin, completely unable to move with how full he was of his alpha’s knot. Tears glittered in the corners of his eyes from the sensation of everything.

Anakin's breath caught in his throat when Obi-Wan came a second time. He hadn't expected the extra stimulation after he had powered through his own orgasm, and he had to wonder if that was how Obi-Wan had felt.

After a bit of calming down, Anakin bent down and kissed as close as he could to the omega's hips, then carefully adjusted the both of them so they were laying on their sides and in a more relaxing position. The alpha sighed, pulling Obi-Wan closer and kissing the back of his neck after brushing away the long red hair.

The omega groaned as he was moved, “So full…” his mind was clearly still fuzzy as he sought comfort in his alpha’s arms, not even trying to pull away from the knot locking him in place.

The blond absentmindedly rubbed his thumb over Obi-Wan's hip, where one hand had decided to move. "You were so good, omega." he said softly with a small smile.

Obi-Wan’s face flushed deeper and he smiled, happy that his alpha was so pleased with him, that he had given his alpha such pleasure. He loved the praise of his alpha, and he wanted to continue to please his alpha again and again. 

“Alpha…” he mumbled happily, closing his eyes and snuggling down against him, whining only a little when his movement caused the knot in his hole to tug and push, proving he was still overly sensitive down there and overstimulated.

"Careful." Anakin cautioned, moving his hand on Obi-Wan's hip to the omega's stomach. He was silent for a bit longer before a chuckle bubbled up in his chest. "You know, if Nodin-Va knew what we just did, he'd be having a fit right now."

“Pretty sure he’d punch you in the face, try to claim that it’s some sort of crime to drive you off Voss, and then lecture me until my ear falls off.” Obi-Wan hummed.

"I can't believe he tried to tell me there was some spell keeping me from coming into your bedroom and I believed him." Anakin sighed.

“Obviously his plot to keep you away from touching me failed.” Obi-Wan said, twisting his body enough to kiss his lover.

Anakin smiled into the kiss. "It was going to happen eventually."

“In any case, be prepared for him tomorrow. There’s no way he won’t smell you on me. He’s not an alpha, but Voss and Gormak do have a strong sense of smell.”

“I’ll survive. As tall as he is, he’s not that intimidating, to be honest.”

“I’m glad he’s not enough to scare you away, then.” He sighed and looked down to where they were still locked tight together, “Do you know how long we’ll be stuck like this? I knew about being locked together to heighten the probability of reproduction during heat, but I never heard how long it lasts…and I’m feeling sleepy.”

“It varies from what I’ve heard. Sometimes up to an hour, but I don’t know if it’ll be that long for us since this was our first time and I’m not in rut.”

“So you think it’ll be longer because it’s our first time?” Obi-Wan asked.

“I was thinking shorter, but it might be longer. I’m not sure.”

Obi-Wan let out a frustrated sound, “Hard to get cleaned up and cuddle as we drift off when we’re stuck like this with every little movement being very...sensitive down there.”

“One of the less glamorous things about knotting." Anakin agreed. “You can go to sleep if you want. I’ll clean you up when I can.”

“Are you sure? You should be just as tired, I’d think.”

“I am, but I want you to be comfortable and rested beyond anything else. I want to take care of you so you don’t have to worry about anything.”

“Okay, but don’t—use the guest room after—stay here with me. I’d like it if we woke up together.”

“Of course… Nodin-Va won’t come barging in here in the morning will he?”

“He is programmed into the lock on my apartment for when I’m in heat, but he respects my privacy and does not enter without my permission outside of taking care of me during my heats.”

“Good. Don’t want to get caught.” Anakin curled up around Obi-Wan and wrapped his arms around him tighter.

“It was consensual, and we’re engaged, so even if we are caught it’s not an issue.” ObiWan yawned and pulled a pillow down to place under their heads.

“Apparently it’s an issue for your body guards and secret admirer.” Anakin shrugged as he settled his head on the pillow.

“Not-so-secret admirer.” Obi-Wan corrected, “But they can’t actually do anything about it but complain.”

"And beat me up if they think I've touched you wrong."

The omega let out a laugh, “I’d say you had touched me just right in all the right ways.”

Anakin smiled at that. "I'd like to see you try to explain that to them."

“That may just end up a situation where I’d ask you to do it again.”

"I see no problem with that."

“As long as I’m not in heat, we’ll be fine." Obi-Wan said, taking Anakin’s hand to his lips to press a kiss to it before he yawned.

"Having sex with you against their wishes is already bad enough. Me getting you pregnant would literally be the end of me. They'd hunt me down and skin me alive."

“Mating during heat is for after marriage, regardless. That is one tradition I choose to stick to, as tempting as your knot may be.”

"Fair enough. If there's a war on the horizon, I wouldn't want to bring a kid into the galaxy with that. Hopefully… we can make this war short."

“Hopefully we can save Voss.” Obi-Wan nodded, tiredly, soon after drifting off to sleep.

Anakin ran a hand through Obi-Wan's hair as he slept. Eventually Anakin's knot released, allowing the alpha to easily slip out of his omega and get up to grab a towel so he could clean Obi-Wan up. He worked gently, not wanting to wake up the sleeping omega, and he did a thorough job of cleaning. When he was finished, he climbed back onto the bed, picked up Obi-Wan, and slipped under the covers, curling up once more around the redhead and eventually falling asleep himself.

* * *

To be continued...


	8. Chapter 8

The following morning, Obi-Wan got up and showered before dressing and pinning his hair up in braids, then he returned to the bed and placed a gentle hand on Anakin’s shoulder as he leaned over to whisper into his ear, “Morning, my alpha, it’s time to go get breakfast.”

Slowly waking up, Anakin groaned and stretched on the bed, cracking his eyes open to look up at the redhead. He managed a smile. "Morning."

“Morning.” he kissed him on the cheek before pulling back, “There are many refugees, so we don’t want to be late to breakfast or we may not get much selection.”

Anakin sat up with a yawn. "Okay, just let me get dressed real quick… and brush my hair."

“Do whatever you need. I’m nearly ready, but I will wait for you if you’re not finished by the time I am. I figured I take longer with my hair and many layers of robes so I got a head start and now just have a few more things to do.” he said, moving over to the vanity in his room and sitting down to apply liner to his eyes.

The alpha watched as he got out of bed, then he proceeded to pick up his clothes and put them back on, hoping they weren't too wrinkly and could still pass for at least breakfast. Once he was prepared to leave, Anakin came up behind Obi-Wan and kissed his neck. "I'm ready to go."

Finishing his face quickly, Obi-Wan nodded, “Alright, lets go.” he stood up.

"How much you want to bet one of your companions is outside waiting?" Anakin chuckled as they headed to the door.

“It’s early yet, so," his hand hovered over the switch to unlock the door, “I’ll be surprised if there is no one.”

With that, he unlocked the door and opened it.

Standing there, just like some sort of butler droid, was Nodin-Va.

"Great, our friend is here to lead us to breakfast." Anakin said sarcastically.

"I was here to accompany Mystic Obi-Wan." the Voss stated, staring at the blond. "He is usually awake and around earlier than this."

“It was a long trip away from home. I was enjoying being back in my own bed again and didn’t want to wake up so quickly.” Obi-Wan said simply.

Nodin-Va narrowed his eyes. "Something about you seems off today. Are you sure you just slept in? You're not sick, are you?"

“I am fine, I assure you. Though I am quite hungry.”

"Maybe you won't seem so off after eating something." The Voss glanced over at Anakin, who gave him a blank expression.

“Have you eaten yet, Nodin-Va?” Obi-Wan asked.

"No, I haven't. You know I always wait for you so we eat together."

“Usually, but not always.” Obi-Wan shrugged, “I wanted to clarify this morning’s situation. We’ll need to find three seats together, then.”

Anakin was certain he watched Nodin-Va roll his eyes, but the Voss played it off as if nothing happened. 

"Of course. Wouldn't want to leave Outsider Skywalker alone for breakfast."

“I’m sure sharing breakfast with us will be more comforting to Anakin than if we left him to sit with Voss he does not know. He is our guest, after all.” Obi-Wan said, taking the Jedi’s hand, “The Hall of Feasts is this way.”

Anakin glanced at the Voss as he and Obi-Wan passed him, and he noticed the quick change in posture Nodin-Va had. The alpha quickly turned his head back to the front. He had seen Nodin-Va show a different expression than neutral, and that was when he knew the Voss has caught a whiff of Anakin's alpha scent on Obi-Wan.

"Kark, he knows." Anakin whispered to Obi-Wan, keeping his eyes forward, hoping that the Voss wouldn't say anything.

“I warned you he would.” Obi-Wan whispered back, continuing to stroll forward as if nothing were out of the ordinary.

"I'm getting a good lecture later." Anakin felt Nodin-Va start walking really close to him; an intense gaze on him like a predator.

“You’ll be fine.” they turned the corner and descended a set of stairs.

Anakin remained silent for the rest of the walk, fearing the Voss behind him would snap at any moment. Just focus on food, he told himself. The lecture would come later. Food was more important at that moment, not the towering Nodin-Va with a death glare.

They entered the Hall of Feasts and Obi-Wan dragged Anakin through the crowd to the buffet that had been set up as there were too many people to serve individually. He then handed Anakin a plate before he began to fill his, then he poured himself a glass of juice before turning to search for three empty seats.

“Looks like there are three free seats over there in the far corner.” Obi-Wan informed his two morning companions before heading towards the seats in hopes to claim them before someone else did.

When Anakin had filled his plate, he moved over to where Obi-Wan was sitting, glad he made it to the seats before Nodin-Va so he could still sit by the redhead. He sighed when the Voss sat next to him with another glare.

“So, has there been any further developments I should be informed of?” Obi-Wan asked Nodin-Va when he sat down, steering the conversation down a usual morning chat before the Voss could choose a more personally dramatic topic.

Nodin-Va grunted before he gave a report. "The Outsiders have moved closer to the village we were at yesterday, but no attacks have been made yet. The village is being evacuated this morning, which means more refugees heading this way."

“Any word on those who live outside the villages? Have they been left alone, or are they also attacked?”

A look of realization dawned on Nodin-Va’s face briefly, “I’m sorry, there is no news on any individuals who live outside of towns and villages… We can only hope that your mother is okay.”

"Your mother doesn't live in one of the villages?" Anakin's attention turned to Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan shook his head, “After my father passed, she had to leave the Shrine of Healing. She took me and moved back with her parents on their farm. It’s a small farm, small enough for her to run alone, but...she’s far from her neighbors.”

"Think we should go out and find her? See if she's still out there on the farm?"

“I want to, I do, but I need to stay here where any visions I have can be known quickly and I can help heal those who come in need of healing.” Obi-Wan sighed.

"Well, if we fix up a couple holocoms, we can leave one here at the shrine and take the other with us. We'd have a stable connection between the two, so you'd be able to share any visions you'd have."

“I wouldn’t be able to heal, and I’ve already been gone so long. Normally I’d send a protector, but in a time like this it would be a selfish thing to ask.”

"I'll go." Anakin said in a very serious tone. "Let me go and find her."

Obi-Wan blinked at him, “You’d do that for me?”

"Of course I would. She clearly means a lot to you, and she's just as important to me as you are now."

The redhead stared at Anakin a long moment before resting his forehead against his shoulder, “Thank you…”

Smiling, Anakin wrapped an arm around Obi-Wan's shoulders. "It's the least I can do…"

“Bring her back with you if you can. She’ll be safer here than out there on her own.”

"Of course. I wouldn't plan on finding her and just leaving her alone and unprotected."

“And then?" Obi-Wan’s cheeks flushed slightly as he looked up at Anakin again, “I can formally introduce you to her.”

“We can see if we get that blessing or not.” Anakin smiled.

Obi-Wan nodded with a small smile, “Precisely.”

“I promise I’ll get her back to the shrine. Hopefully she’ll trust me enough to come with me.”

“Before you leave, I’ll give you something to show her so she will trust you.” Obi-Wan promised.

"I'll gather up my stuff and possibly leave today. You'll just have to give me the coordinates and I'll plug them into the speeder we came in on."

“You can work on those communicators after breakfast like you said last night, I’ll get together what you’ll need while you do that between my duties as a Mystic.”

Anakin nodded. "That should put me a good distance away from you, like what Mr grumpy pants over here wants."

Nodin-Va huffed. "You touched him."

Obi-Wan shifted his gaze over to Nodin-Va, allowing a hint of innocence to show on his face, “Is that an issue?”

"Bonding like that is forbidden until marriage, you know that."

“You are free to check my neck for bite marks. You won’t see any at all as he did not bond me.” Obi-Wan offered up.

"It might as well be bonding. You know we always made sure you understood that bonding in any way was forbidden."

“Only for the underage. I have passed that threshold and am quite capable of choosing to get close with my intended alpha. He has done nothing to me without my consent.”

Nodin-Va clenched his jaw. "He went against the wishes of your protectors."

“Since when do my protectors get a say in my personal relationships?” Obi-Wan questioned calmly, but there was a hint of ice in his words.

"We've been charged with protecting you since you became a Mystic. It's our duty to make sure you, as a Mystic, stay true to your duties and you don't get distracted."

"I have not neglected my duties as a Mystic."

"You could if Outsider Skywalker pulls more stunts like he did last night."

"And what stunt is that?" Obi-Wan challenged. 

"I can still smell him on you. I know what happened even after I told him not to."

"Sorry both of us found the moment to be right for what we did." Anakin snapped back, pushing back the growl he felt bubbling up.

"You have been with me for a long time, Nodin-Va, and I'm aware of your feelings for me. We've discussed it and you said you’d be fine as long as you got to be at my side. But if you can't control your jealousy then I'll have to find a new main interpreter."

The Voss huffed and picked at his food. "I can control it. I just don't want you to get distracted during this war you foresaw coming. You have bigger things to be working on than bonding with an Outsider alpha."

"We are not going to marry until after the war, my duties come first, but that doesn't mean that we can't find a moment or two to spend some time together."

"This war may last many years, and spending some time together turns into spending lots of time together and eventually spending time together at the wrong time. What if there's an attack while you two are spending time together? What would happen if you're in heat and with Outsider Skywalker when that attack happens?"

"He won't be with me during my heats." Obi-Wan stated firmly.

"Somehow I can't believe that."

"You should, because I'm respectful enough to know that I shouldn't be with your precious Mystic during his heats." Anakin said, turning to fully face Nodin-Va, jawline tight.

"Then you better be wearing that mask of yours any time you're around this shrine when other omega mystics are in heat. I won't have an alpha claiming to be unbonded roaming these halls around very clearly unbonded omegas."

Anakin let out a low growl.

"You're being ridiculous. Mystics in heat stay in their rooms. And there's locked rooms for the omega refugees. He only needs the mask when I'm in heat and he's in my apartment."

"There are hundreds of omegas here who aren't Mystics. Omega refugees are the easiest to manipulate."

"I would never take advantage of an omega." The blond hissed.

There are also hundreds of alphas here too, all without masks."

Nodin-Va sighed and shook his head. "Fine, do as you please, but I do not condone this type of behavior during a war. It is not Voss-like."

"You wouldn't mind it so much if I had chosen you."

The Voss remained silent at that, choosing instead to eat.

Anakin sighed, letting himself relax as he looked back at Obi-Wan. "Anyways, just get me whatever supplies you can so I can prepare to go find your mom. Tools, tech parts, anything really, I'll find some way to use them and maybe fix up the speeder a bit more."

"You'll get what you need before you leave." Obi-Wan promised. 

"Thanks." The blond leaned over to kiss Obi-Wan's cheek. 

"I should be the one thanking you."

"Well you don't have to, because I love you and I'd do anything for you."

Flushing, the redhead smiled at him, "I love you, too."

Anakin smiled as he went to eating, bumping his shoulder against Obi-Wan's as they ate.

After he finished eating, Obi-Wan stood up, "I should go to the healing halls, I'll meet up with you again later."

* * *

Anakin left the next day to search for Obi-Wan's mother, preparing coms and other supplies to make the journey across dangerous lands. In no way was any part of Voss safe, so his expedition starting early in the morning when the sun had barely risen was nearly the perfect time to head out, as most security watches were in the middle of changing shifts, so oddities in the daily norm could easily be overlooked. 

The morning was cool still, cool enough that the wind produced by the speeder moving so fast caused Anakin to shiver a little. He quickly warmed up as the sun rose higher in the sky, but the day was still a cooler one. 

The coordinates Obi-Wan had given to Anakin represented a spot that was about as far away from any other Voss as it could be. It was honestly the best and worst place to hide from the Sith invasion. Obi-Wan's mother was a sitting duck unless she got smart about the situation and left already. Anakin simultaneously hoped and didn't hope that was the case. He had promised to bring they omega's mother back, and that was what he was going to do; even if he found her in a similar situation he had found his own mother.

Upon arrival at the coordinates, most of the day had passed, the sky nearly dark again. The lights on the speeder didn't work so well, but they worked enough to illuminate the long path that eventually lead to the farm. Anakin killed the engine and looked at the house, noting the soft light of candles burning inside. He had a brief thought that he hoped he wouldn't get shot for trespassing.

The property seemed peaceful and untouched by the destruction that had come to Voss, the only sounds in the night was the creaking of a large wooden wheel and the splashing of running water as a creek turned the wheel, likely providing the modest little home with some electricity, though the flickering light in the windows suggested that the house was not wired for things like lights. Of course, the turning wheel could serve another purpose to a farm than generating electricity.

Anakin got out of the speeder and walked up to the front door of the home. He was cautious, listening for any abnormal sounds that might indicate that the Sith we're near or the home's inhabitant was watching him with a blaster at the ready. 

He knocked on the door, stepping back from it after he knocked and waited for whoever was inside to answer.

The silence stretched on without any hint of movement inside. It was starting to get worrisome for anakin right before the Force twinged in warning and he spun around, finding an old hand-held hoe with a wooden handle flying at him, stopping right before it hit his neck with the dull, somewhat rusted blade. It was held by a female omega with fierce blue eyes and greying red hair that was pulled back into a messy bun, simply to keep it out of her face.

“Are you part of the reason I see more and more smoke on the horizon each day?” she demanded.

Anakin raised his hands in the air. "No, Ma'am. I promise I'm here out of good intentions. Your son sent me to find you."

“My son? Are you one of his interpreters?” she asked, not lowering her weapon.

"I’m a Jedi. He came to Coruscant recently after a vision he had and he traveled with his interpreter and two Gormak bodyguards. I came with him back to Voss as support to learn about what was going on here."

“An Outsider?” The information seemed to put the obviously frightened omega even more on edge as she gripped the worn wooden handle tighter. She was alone and had no idea what all was going on. She just knew something bad was happening on Voss, and suddenly a strange alpha showed up claiming to be both an Outsider, and someone sent by her only child. “How do I know Obi sent you?”

Anakin dug into his pocket and pulled out a small wooden toy, it's paint fading and chipping. "He told me to give you this."

Blinking in surprise, she dropped the hoe and stepped forward, taking the well-loved little toy into her hands, “He must truly trust you to let you take this…” she muttered, trailing her fingers gently over the faded paint. “This was the last thing his father ever gave him.”

She looked up at him, studying his face a moment before nodding, “Okay, I trust you.”

Smiling, Anakin put down his other hand. "Thank you. Obi-Wan wanted me to come find you and bring you to the Shrine of Healing. It's not safe to be out here alone."

“What’s all happening? I just see more and more smoke every day, and there’s no news being sent out…”

"There are Sith attacking. They plan to take the mystics and use their power for their own gain."

“Sith? Are those another type of Outsiders?”

"Yes, they're very bad. They will stop at nothing to get what they want."

“And they want the Mystics? Are the Mystics being kept safe?”

"Well they're hiding in the shrine. I don't know if it's the safest place, but that's where they are."

“My son’s a Mystic—I know you know that, but as his mother...I already lost my husband, I can’t…” She shook her head, “Sorry, I‘m normally much more composed and in control of my emotions.”

"I understand. I know losing a loved one is hard, so don't be afraid to show your emotions."

“I’m not afraid to, it’s just best to keep them for moments of privacy. But my husband always did tease me for being so emotionally open. He said that’s the reason why he fell in love with me.” she gave a small smile.

"I'm sorry you lost him. It must have been hard on both you and Obi-Wan."

“It was, Obi was still very young, too young to really understand why his father wasn’t going to wake up.” She sighed and moved to open the front door to her home, “Come on in, Outsider. I have some leftover supper I can reheat for you.”

"Thanks, and call me Anakin. No need to be so formal." The blond followed, willing to accept a hot meal after a full day of traveling.

“I am Cera-Rai.” she responded, leading the way into the small kitchen and pulling out the food to reheat it for her guest.

"Nice to formally meet you. Your farm is quite nice. To bad your peaceful life was interrupted by an invasion."

“It’s lonely, I don’t get the chance to see my son much, but it’s nice out here. What would you like to drink? I have water, freshly squeezed juice, and I do have some milk left.”

"I'll take milk. Haven't had a cold glass in a while."

“If we’re leaving, then it’ll also be good to use it up.” she nodded, pouring him a glass. Once the food was heated again, she set it out on the table for him and sat across in the opposite chair.

“When was the last time you saw Obi-Wan?” Anakin asked as he started to eat the food he was provided.

“It’s been three years, I think.” she sighed, “I try to go at least once a year, but things kept coming up.”

“Wow, three years is a long time not to see him. Your reunion is going to be a nice one, I’d like to think.”

“Maybe. It seems the Mystics are quite busy right now with the attacks happening. I may only get to see him at meals and right before bed if I’m lucky.”

“He was worried sick about you when I left the shrine. I bet he’ll come running to you when we get back.”

“He’s not a little boy anymore.” She shook her head, “adults are more in control of their emotions on Voss. He’ll tend to his responsibilities as he is expected to, and I will wait for him in his private rooms.”

“Really? You... don’t think he’ll want to hug you as soon as you get to the shrine?” Anakin seemed to get smaller as he asked his question.

“What he wants isn’t what will happen unless I arrive right at the perfect moment when he has some personal time.”

“I hope he has free time when we get to the shrine. I know that if I hadn’t seen my mom in three years, I… I would run up to her and give her the biggest hug I could possibly give her.”

“I’m sure she’d love that.”

“She would have… the last time I saw her was when I was nineteen. She was already buried in the ground when I found her.” Anakin sighed, sitting back in his chair.

“Oh, I’m so sorry to hear you lost her, young man.” she frowned, reaching across the table to touch his hand.

“It’s alright. There was nothing I could do… I wish I had gotten to see her one last time. The last time I saw her alive was when I was nine and I went away to become a Jedi. I had told her I’d come back for her…” There was a long pause. “I wish I had been able to keep that promise.”

“You did keep that promise, you did go back for her, and her spirit knows you did.” the woman comforted him.

“Yeah, but I didn’t free her from her slavery… The man who married her did, and I… I was confused and upset when I found her and my step-father and brother. My friend that came with me tried to comfort me. I ended up just crying into her shoulder in the corner of the old workshop I used to work at when I was a kid.”

“Slavery? I’m afraid I don’t know what that is.”

Anakin sighed, choosing words carefully. “It’s basically people owning other people as objects.”

“People aren’t objects.” she said, her confusion echoing Obi-Wan’s when he’d first learned about such a horrible thing.

“I know, and I’m trying to get rid of it galaxy-wide. It’s a whole conversation for another day, honestly.”

She nodded and pulled back with a sigh, “Is it safe enough for you to get some proper rest here before we head to the shrine? It’s a long way to travel, after all.”

"I've got the Force to warn me if any danger comes by, but it should be safe for us to rest. We can wake up early and travel back to the shrine tomorrow."

“I hope the Force thing is better than the slavery thing.” she said, “You can stay in Obi’s old room tonight.”

"Thanks. I appreciate all you've done for me, despite me being a total stranger."

“My Obi sent you here, he wouldn’t send a dangerous Outsider he didn’t trust.” She stood up, “I’ll go make sure my animals will be set for my absence. Finish eating and then go get some rest. Obi’s old room is at the end of the hall.”

Anakin nodded, going back to eating the meal that had been heated up for him. When he was finished, he took the dishes to the sink and wandered off down the hallway, finding Obi-Wan's old room easily. He collapsed onto the bed with a sigh, and soon his eyes were closing and he was drifting off to sleep.

* * *

The following morning Cera-Rai was up and moving around the kitchen, packing food for the trip, her travel bag already packed and by the door.

Anakin came out of Obi-Wan's old bedroom looking tired but alert. He took their things out to the speeder while Cera-Rai was busy packing food. When everything was packed in the speeder, he went back inside. "We're all ready to leave, unless there's other things you want to take that you haven't packed yet."

“Just that.” she nodded to the table where Obi-Wan’s hand-carved childhood toy sat, “Obi will be wanting that back.”

"I'm sure he will. I'll get the speeder running, so come out when you're ready." Anakin left her once more, hoping to get the speeder working after having it sit all night long.

Grabbing everything, Cera-Rai followed him out and climbed into the speeder’s passenger seat after setting their lunch safely in the back. “Alright, ready when you are, Outsider Anakin.”

Anakin nodded, glad the speeder had still worked after a night of rest. “Sit back and relax, we’ve got a long trip ahead of us.”

The day dragged on, thankfully with no interruptions to their journey. They paused briefly to eat and take refresher breaks, but there were no other stops. Their goal was to get to the Shrine of Healing as quickly as possible, which meant no unnecessary stops. There was, after all, a war brewing on the horizon. Any time spent standing still made them easy targets for any passing Sith parties. Anakin preferred to not run into any Sith before he had to. But finally they made their destination, arriving around the same time that Anakin had arrived to the farm the day before. 

The sun was setting when Anakin parked the speeder inside the shrine. They were finally in a safer location than out in the open, and that made the blond feel loads better.

Cera-Rai got out of the speeder and grabbed her bag out of the back and smiled at Anakin, “Come, let’s go see if my Obi is in his rooms yet.”

Anakin grabbed his own stuff and followed her in. They traveled to Obi-Wan’s room, which Anakin had started memorizing the route to, so he could easily find the room in the future. 

“Alright, this is Obi’s. I’m sure he won’t mind if you come in for a visit, of course.” she said, unlocking the door and opening it before stepping inside.

“I was actually told to stay with him. So I was in here the night before last when we arrived since we got planet-side.”

She paused to look at him in surprise, “He has you staying here with him? Oh! Don’t tell me! Are you? Oh great visions!” she grinned and pulled him down into a hug, “You’ll be joining our little family, won’t you, Dear?”

Anakin grunted in surprise. “I...w-well he asked me to be his alpha and I accepted, so we just needed your blessing to go through with the marriage.”

“I’m just happy he’s finally let someone in. He never showed interest in anyone before and I worried he’d be alone his whole life. You take good care of my baby boy, okay?”

“I promise I will. I care about him too much at this point to let anything bad happen to him.”

“That’s a good son-in-law.” Cera-Rai smiled, hugging him again, “So, are you in Obi’s bedchamber with him, leaving the guest room open for me?”

“His interpreter put me in the guest room, but I didn’t even sleep in that room. I can move the rest of my stuff out so you can have the guest room.”

“Yes, yes, it doesn’t make sense that you’re separate from Obi, anyway. Unless he’s in heat. Then you would have to move out to the couch, I’m afraid. At least until the wedding.”

"Yeah, we discussed that a little already. He does still want to wait for us to share a heat until we get married, which honestly I like the idea of. Builds up the anticipation too."

“It’s a traditional rule us Little Voss omegas like to stick close to.” Cera-Rai said, moving into the guest room and setting her bag down on the bed before sighing, “It seems Obi isn’t back yet, so how about we go for a walk to see if we can find him. We can try the Hall of Feasts first.”

"Sure, we can grab some food while we're there too, which is probably why you suggested it in the first place." Anakin smiled as they left the room. "Obi-Wan's interpreter isn't the biggest fan of me. He tried to convince me there was some secret spell that prevented anyone but family and spouse from entering the main bedroom."

“Nodin-Va, I assume? Yes, he’s had a crush on my Obi ever since Obi became of age. At least, that’s when he admitted he had feelings for him. He probably is only upset because you are an Outsider. I know he and Obi spoke of his feelings and came to an understanding that it wouldn’t happen between them. He knew Obi would choose someone, but I think he was only prepared for another Voss native to steal Obi’s heart.”

Anakin shrugged. “He really didn’t like the idea of my sleeping in the same bed with Obi-Wan, let alone even be within a meter of him.”

“Ignore him, dear, he can’t do anything other than complain, and if it bothers him too much, then he needs to step down from being Obi’s main interpreter. He’ll get used to you eventually. It’s not like you’ll be going anywhere.”

“Yeah, I told Obi-Wan I wanted to stay on Voss with him once everything calms down again. Figured that would be a good time to finally plan a wedding.”

“After the threat of Outsiders is gone, yes.” she nodded.

The Hall of Feasts was packed with refugees taking shelter from the chaos outside. It was hard to tell if Obi-Wan was there or not. There were Voss, Little Voss, and Gormak alike sitting and eating, and Anakin could see just how hard the cooks were working. If he wasn't searching for Obi-Wan, he would have gone and helped.

"Seems pretty busy here." Anakin commented.

“Busiest I’ve ever seen it.” Cera-Rai agreed, “Let’s grab a plate and then start wandering around.”

Once they had their plates full of food, they wandered the rows of tables in search of a couple seats or maybe Obi-Wan. With so many people already sitting, it was difficult to find a place to sit. They did find a couple of seats that two Voss gave up, as they were heading out anyways so they offered up their seats to the pair.

“Well, I guess we sit and eat and get to know each other better.” Cera-Rai said, claiming one of the two seats.

“Sounds like a good plan.” Anakin sat next to her and set his plate down. “So what’s it like to run a farm on Voss? I’m only familiar with moisture farms on Tatooine.”

“Moisture? You farm moisture?”

“Yeah, Tatooine is a desert planet, so moisture farms are common all over the planet. They bring up moisture from the ground to give water and coolant for homes and businesses. Most settlements are dug into the ground where it’s cooler, so not as much coolant is needed, though it still gets stupid hot by the middle of the day. People who live closer to the poles live cooler lives, and they hardly need coolant except during heat waves.”

“How do you grow food on a planet like that?”

“Underground. Hunting and herding are also sources of food, but any plant based foods we grow are grown underground where the sun can’t make them sour.”

“But plants need sunlight.”

“They get artificial sunlight. Tatooine is harsh in more ways than one, so it’s better for them to grow underground with artificial light than to suffer on the surface and be at the mercy of the twin suns.”

“I don’t understand any of the reasons for that, but if that’s what the Outsiders need to do…” She shrugged, “Here it’s pretty normal. Mostly it’s making sure plants get enough water, and chase off any animals that would eat everything before harvest.”

“Sounds so simple compared to farming on Tatooine. I almost envy you.”

“It’s a bit more involved than that, but there’s no...artificial lights or needing to get water from the dirt.”

“Tatooine is more sand than dirt, but yeah you have a natural growth process here unlike Tatooine. It’s nice.”

“So is that what the Jedi do? Farm water from the ground?”

"Well, someone in the agricorps might, but that's technically an option for students who don't pass their trials, though they don't really become Jedi." Anakin shrugged. "Jedi are the keepers of peace, balance, and order in the galaxy. We run to those in need and protect those who cannot protect themselves. We're almost like a glorified police force, but we don't enforce law."

“I see, so you coming to help Voss is a normal thing for you?”

"Yeah, I usually get sent to planets to check things out before the Jedi council makes a full decision to send more help. There should be more Jedi on their way here now."

“But you’ll be staying here after, right? With Obi?”

"Yeah, I plan on leaving the Jedi after all this is over. They don't like it, but they don't realise how important this is to me."

“As long as you’ll be on Voss with Obi often enough to keep your bond strong with him. I’ve heard a weakened bond is painful for an omega in heat, even more so than a broken bond due to loss.”

"I don't plan on leaving him for long. If anything he can come with me back to grab the rest of my things on Coruscant."

“I guess that depends on what you two discuss, and when you wed.” she said before taking a sip of her drink.

"We have a lot to discuss still. Besides, there's a war coming on anyways, and we need to focus on that."

“Looking around, I’d say the war is already here. So many people displaced.” Cera-Rai sighed.

"Yeah..." Anakin said with a sigh. "Hopefully when the other Jedi arrive we can end this conflict as quick as we can."

Cera-Rai opened her mouth to say something when her focus flickered away to the doors behind Anakin, “Obi and Nodin-Va just walked in.”

Anakin turned to look at the door and smiled when he caught sight of Obi-Wan. "Should we let them know we're here?"

“Let them get food, first, then we should grab their attention. We are almost finished eating so they can have our seats when we finish.”

The blond nodded. "I hope he's as happy to see you and I'm thinking he will be. You did say it's been years since you last saw each other."

“He tries to contain himself, but he’s one boy who never did completely grow out of being unable to contain his excitement to see his mother.” she chuckled.

"I'd be exactly the same. I know for sure I'd be excited to see my mom again."

Obi-Wan and Nodin-Va filled their plates with food before turning to look over the crowded room in search for seats.

“I’m almost tempted to just take my meal back to my rooms tonight. It’s been such a long day.” the Mystic sighed.

"If you're tired, I would say it would be a good idea." Nodin-Va scanned the crowd of people until his eyes caught sight of Cera-Rai. "I see your mother."

“Yeah, I think I—Mom? Where?” The tired omega asked, his eyes growing wider as he searched the crowd. 

The Voss gestured over to the woman. "Looks like Outsider Skywalker is with her."

“Mom…” He mindlessly handed Nodin-Va his plate of food before hurrying off towards the woman.

Nodin-Va barely got a hold of Obi-Wan's plate before the redhead was rushing off to his mother. He hurried to follow, despite seeing Anakin with the mother of the mystic he was charged with staying by. 

“Mom?" Obi-Wan said as he got closer and the woman stood up before they were locked in an embrace that had the surrounding Voss looking, but saying nothing before they went back to their own conversations. The Mystic hid his face in her neck and shoulder as he hunched over slightly, taking in her scent and letting his fears of her safety calm with knowing she was there at last.

“Oh Obi, my sweet boy.” she hummed, rubbing his back.

While mother and son hugged, Anakin grabbed his and Cera-Rai's plates and moved them to the side, standing up and offering their seats to Obi-Wan and Nodin-Va. He grabbed the omega's plate from the Voss and set it down where he had been sitting moments before..

“Safe, I’m so glad you’re safe—I was so worried about you.” Obi-Wan muttered.

“I know, dear Obi.” she kissed his temple before pulling back and smiling at him, “But I’m here now, and have had a wonderful time getting to know your lovely alpha.”

Obi-Wan’s cheeks heated. “I was planning to—”

“Yes, yes, no need for the formalities at this point, you two have my blessing.” she chuckled, “I’m glad you could find someone to make you happy.”

Anakin walked up to Obi-Wan and Cera-Rai with a smile. "Glad you two got to see each other again."

“Have you two finished eating?” Obi-Wan asked.

"Yeah, we just finished basically. You and Nodin-Va can have our seats."

“I was thinking of eating in my rooms this evening. We can spend time together that way without the crowds.”

"You know, that's a better idea." Anakin said, looking at Cera-Rai. "I'd like to go back to the room anyways, so if you're ready to go, I'm willing."

"Of course." the mother responded. "We had a long day of travelling, and I'd like to get settled in a little more before the day is over." 

Obi-Wan nodded, “Nodin-Va, you are welcome to join us if you do not wish to eat alone.” he said before picking his plate back up to carry with him.

"It would be nice to, but I wouldn't want to intrude on family time." the Voss stated.

"It's alright, I won't bite if you come." Anakin said with a smile.

The Voss shot him a glare and pointedly sat down in one of the two empty seats.

“Alright then, let’s go so I can eat and Mom can get settled.” Obi-Wan said, turning to lead the way out of the crowd.

The three made their way out of the noisy room, relieved when they finally got some quieter surroundings walking back to Obi-Wan's room. Anakin slipped and hand into the redhead's free hand, interlocking their fingers as they walked, making him feel happy that he was back with his omega once more and had brought his mother to him as well.

The redhead glanced over at him with a smile, “I hope your trip went smoothly for you both.”

"It was long, but we didn't really run into any trouble." Anakin said. 

“That’s good. So many who come here aren’t so lucky. We had more show up today, most needing healing. We’ve been so busy.”

"Have there been any attacks close to the shrine?"

“They...are getting closer.” Obi-Wan said with some hesitation, “We aren’t sure where to go if we need to evacuate.”

"Hopefully the other Jedi will arrive here before they get to the shrine."

“I don’t have much hope in that—the Sith Outsiders are much closer than the Jedi. It takes a little less than a standard month to travel here, and the Sith Outsiders are only a few towns away. We’ll have to engage before help arrives.”

“Then I’ll better get to work on fixing up some weapons for us to use. Otherwise the shrine is going to fall far faster than we want.”

“Rak-Ta has taken a group of volunteers to locate potential places to evacuate to should the Shrine be attacked.”

“Good, we’ll be worse off if we end up wandering around aimlessly. Even if we must go to the Nightmare Lands again. It’d be nice to have Artoo around again.”

Obi-Wan paused while unlocking his rooms and slipping inside, “...Do you think you could look at Basil to see if he can be fixed?”

Anakin smiled wide. “Absolutely. I wanna see this little buddy of yours.”

Nodding, Obi-Wan set his plate on the table before going to pull Basil out of where he’d been carefully tucked away. Basil was indeed a mouse droid, and a very old model with features that had long been changed in the designs of all the modern mouse droids. Light panels were missing, rust was evident in places where panels came together, and a little dish antenna was bent out of shape.

“Aww, poor guy is in rough shape.” Anakin carefully took the droid and looked him over, noting things he would need to have in order to fix. “I’m going to have to take him apart to know if any of his internal processors are damaged or not. If nothing inside is too damaged, I can fix him up easily.”

“Whatever you need to—I miss him. I just hope he keeps his personality and memories if you do get him fixed.”

“He should. The only way he wouldn’t would be if he needs brand new processors.”

“I’ll leave him in your hands, then.” Obi-Wan said, kissing his cheek before going over to the table to eat before his meal got too cold. He smiled at his mother who had sat down in the second chair, clearly intent on catching up with her busy Mystic son while he ate.

* * *

To be continued...


	9. Chapter 9

Obi-Wan stood frozen on the balcony overlooking Voss, his eyes wide and unwavering from the dark smoke that curled up into the sky from behind the thick canopy of a forest. Another village, gone, leveled to the ground. One far too close to the Shrine of Healing. The village was a very small one, hardly worth attacking, but also no less than a five hour’s travel on foot to the Shrine. Many potential Mystics began their pilgrimage in that small village, and now that was where the Outsiders were.

Much closer than anyone would have guessed based on the previous attacks.

Biting his lip, he tore his gaze away to look at the others who had gathered to watch the smoke curling into the sky like angry storm clouds, helpless to do anything to help the people suffering the attack.

But maybe something could be done for the next village…

He let out a breath he’d held and hoisted himself up onto the wide stone wall that kept people from falling off the ledge, and he sat cross-legged, closing his eyes, relaxing his shoulders, and taking slow, deep breaths as he coaxed himself into a meditation, hoping to have a vision.

At first there was nothing but the familiar empty space he went to in his meditations, but doon there came flashes of different faces surrounding Obi-Wan, closing in on him, trapping him in the corner they had herded him into. Their red blades were hot and angry, threatening to pierce right through his body with their deep humming. Panic filled the scene, the skies of Voss darkened and blasterfire being shot rapidly in the background and the temple walls were falling to ruin. It was a hellscape almost, until the brilliant blue of Anakin’s lightsaber clashed against the reds and oranges of Voss. Expertly the Jedi deflected attacks while protecting Obi-Wan, and he killed off a few of them before the rest shouted at each other to retreat, knowing they were no match for this seemingly unnaturally strong Jedi. Only one lingered, hungry yellow eyes focused on Obi-Wan as if they could drag him away from all hope.

Obi-Wan’s eyes flew open, a flash of light escaping his eyelids before it faded away to show off the soft blues of his eyes. At the same moment, a gasp escaped his lips and he held out a hand, “Nodin-Va…”

A blue hand shot out and grabbed Obi-Wan’s, holding it gently and reassuringly. “I’m here, Mystic Obi-Wan." Nodin-Va replied with concern in his voice.

“We need to get people out of the temple. I don’t know where, but it won’t be safe here for much longer. Those who can not fight need to go first. Children especially.”

“That’s a tall order, but I’ll see what I can do. Though I worry the Outsiders will see the refugees escaping and will attack.”

“They are attacking regardless. The best thing to do is to get as many out as we can before that happens, and arm those who haven't gotten out yet. I’d give you the details of my vision, but it’s a pretty straightforward one. Blades of glowing red will spill blood in the Shrine.”

Nodin-Va nodded. "I'll go start getting people out." He turned on his heels and exited the room.

Obi-Wan remained where he was a moment longer, looking out at the smoke before slipping off the ledge back onto the platform of the balcony and heading inside in search of his alpha and his mother to let them know personally.

Anakin came running to Obi-Wan after a bit, out of breath and glad to finally stop and breathe. “Hey, I assume you know about the attack nearby?" he said once he caught his breath a little more.

“I saw the smoke.” Obi-Wan nodded, “And I had a vision. Nodin-Va has gone to get the evacuation of the Shrine started, but not everyone will have time to get out—so we are prioritizing the most vulnerable. Children, elderly, and those who are still healing after being treated.”

The blond nodded. "We should find your mom. I think I saw her heading off to get food."

“I know you and I do not make it out in time, but we can make sure she does.”

Anakin grabbed Obi-Wan's hands and squeezed them. "We'll make it out as far as we can. Now let's go find your mom and get her and others out before the Sith come."

“We don’t make it out, Anakin. I saw it. I saw the Sith here in the Shrine surrounding me, and then you cut them down to protect me.”

“We’ll get out of here eventually. We’ll make it out alive.”

“Thanks to you and your rather pretty blue glowing sword.”

“This?” Anakin unclipped his lightsaber from his belt and ignited it to show it off.

“Yes, that. The color of it is much less intimidating than the red ones the Outsiders attack with.”

“Yeah, it sounds friendlier too from what I’ve heard in old recordings.”

Their humming is deeper.” Obi-Wan nodded, “According to my vision.”

"More glitchy too." Anakin sheathed his lightsaber back onto his belt.

“I didn’t see that, but it was a fairly short vision.” Obi-Wan turned down a corridor suddenly, pulling Anakin with him away from the Hall of Feasts. “It’s a nice day out, Mom usually eats her lunch out in one of the gardens on nice days, so it’s better to check there first.”

“Alright, though I wouldn’t think she’d be eating outside when there’s an attack so close by.”

“The garden isn’t in an area where you can see the smoke. It’s on the other side with high walls blocking the view.”

“Then she probably doesn’t know about the attack.” Anakin shook his head as they walked, picking up his pace slightly.

“Not unless someone has said something to those enjoying the garden.”

“News can travel fast, especially if it’s bad news.”

“Yes, but not many Voss know of the garden. It’s mostly for those who live here in the Shrine. It is also where my father had proposed to my mother, so it’s a special place for her. It really depends on who is spreading the news and if they think to go there.”

“Hell, you should have proposed to me there." Anakin said with a smile. “Make a tradition out of it.”

Obi-Wan gave him a pouty look, “I was too eager to wait.”

“I totally understand. I wouldn’t have wanted to wait either.”

“Good.” Obi-Wan kissed Anakin’s fingers before guiding him to the gates to the garden.

Anakin could have compared the garden here to the ones at the temple on Coruscant, but he didn’t have enough time to do so. Their mission was to simply find Cera-Rai and get her out of the shrine. Luckily they found her there in the garden, sipping on tea and looking out at Voss’s landscapes.

“I thought we’d find you here.” Obi-Wan said, moving up the hill she sat upon and settling down next to her.

“Taking a break?” she asked.

"Not willingly." Anakin said as he sat next to Obi-Wan. "The village closest to the shrine was just attacked."

“The little one?”

Obi-Wan nodded, “It’s gone, and the Outsiders are moving in on the Shrine.”

"We've started moving everyone out of the shrine, children, elderly and sick being the priority ones to get out first." Anakin explained.

“I know you just got here, but you should go with the first group out.” Obi-Wan said, taking her hand between his. “Help them in transporting the sick and injured”.

She blinked at her son, “I don’t think so. I’ll leave with you and the other Mystics. I want to make sure my baby boy is safe.”

"I know you want to stay with your son," Anakin said, "but you won't make it out in time if you do. He told me we'd not make it out before the Sith come. His vision showed him that."

“Then it looks like I’ll be staying.”

“Mom, no, please...it’s dangerous and I—I can’t lose you like that. You have a chance if you go, but if you stay—there was so much red in my vision...so much death.”

“I’m going to do my best to keep us alive, but you need to go." Anakin said a little sternly. “If we make it out alive, I want to make sure my omega’s mom is alive to meet us.”

“You said the Outsiders are after the Mystics; my son is one of the Mystics, which means he’s a target. I won’t leave his side.”

“Mom, you were not in my vision. I was, and so was Anakin. If you do stay, we get seperated and I don’t know what happens to you. Please, Mom, go now so I know you’re more likely safe and you can help with the children and hurt.”

“Obi, I—”

“I’m telling you this as a Mystic, Mom, You’ll be more help to Voss protecting the children who have already lost their homes and some even their family members. They need you more than I do.”

Cera-Rai stared at her son a long moment before letting out a breath and nodding, “As you say, Mystic. But do make sure you return to me.” she pressed a kiss to his forehead before standing up to go prepare for the first wave of evacuees. 

"I'll keep him safe, I promise." Anakin said as the woman walked away. "As safe as I can, anyways." he said in a quieter tone, more directed towards Obi-Wan than his mother.

“I know you will.” Obi-Wan took a moment to nuzzle into Anakin’s neck where his scent gland was before letting out a breath that tickled Anakin’s collarbone, “we should go help prepare those who will be staying to fight. Make sure there will be enough weapons and those who has them will know how to use them.”

"Hopefully we have enough blasters. I'm worried the older ones will give out mid battle."

“You need to have a little more faith in our old technology. It may be outdated but our weapons do work. They just...are made more for hunting than war. We have only had to face animal threats for so long, and even then the corruption is rare these days so it’s mostly just normal animals defending their territory or young if they attack, or because they are hungry. But we do maintain our blasters. We know how unlike maintaining ships, droids, and upgrading tech. Knowledge of that kind of thing has been lost.”

"Well I did want to try to teach you a little while working on Basil, but that looks like it'll have to wait a bit longer."

“Yes, but that’s okay. I wouldn’t want this Outsider Threat to scare him so quickly. We’ll get him back scooting around after the Outsiders are off Voss.”

"Can't wait to see how happy he is to see you again."

“And to see him find a new friend in Artoo.” Obi-Wan agreed. “But for now we have a battle to prepare for.” He stood up and held out his hand to Anakin.

Anakin took Obi-Wan's hand and hauled himself up to his feet. "Let's go make sure everything is moving smoothly."

“And, uh, maybe teach me how to use a weapon?” Obi-Wan asked, looking up at the alpha.

"I'd gladly show you how to use a weapon." the alpha said with a smile.

“Good, it doesn’t hurt to be prepared in case we get separated.” the omega nodded, “Some of the other mystics may also wish to learn.”

“I’ll be willing to teach them. I’ve taught students in the past a little, I’m sure I can handle adults who want to fight.”

“It’s more for self defense. As Mystics we are taught to save lives, not take them--not like that, and not for sentient beings. We would not want to join the battle but rather be able to defend ourselves if need be. It traditionally falls to our protectors to do things such as battles.”

“But your protectors haven’t really had battles to fight in recently. They’d probably benefit from a refresher course.”

“They spar, but no, we have not had any actual battle since the time right after the Outsiders last came here. Peace has been good to us as a people, but has harmed us in being prepared for this new threat.”

“Too bad you guys weren’t more prepared. But teaching some of the people who are willing to protect will help more than we think.”

“We will have to make sure to extend the invitation to the protectors and any who wish to fight and defend.”

Anakin nodded. “Anyone who is willing to help is welcome to learn. Though it’ll be some fast lessons. We don’t want to still be preparing when the Sith attack.”

“Do you know where the sparring rooms are? That’s where most protectors should be gathering to get prepared. I think I need to change into something that will allow me to move more freely if I’m going to learn.”

“I don’t, but I’m sure someone will be willing to show me where they are.” Anakin smiled.

“They are in the lower levels, so as long as you keep going down you’ll be good until you find someone who can show you the way more quickly. I’ll go change and meet you down there.”

Anakin nodded. “Don’t be too long. I’m not sure how long I can go without seeing you." he said in a rather dramatic but playing tone.

“Really? I thought I had chosen a stronger alpha than that.” Obi-Wan teased back before pulling away to go back to his rooms and change before running around to do a few needed things and gather any Mystics willing to learn.

Anakin made his way down to the sparring rooms as quickly as he could. He noticed several protectors already there and speaking amongst each other on what they might do to protect the shrine. He swallowed and entered one of the rooms, noticing the glances he got from the natives. Noticing a bunch of vibroswords stacked against the far wall, he walked over to them and observed them, deeming them good enough to battle with if it came down to it. They were treated with a thin outer layer of one of the more resistant materials to lightsabers. They would reflect a lightsaber well enough, though not indefinitely, as opposed to being sliced clean through at the first swipe. 

He turned to the protectors who were looking at him, and he cleared his throat.

“We know an attack is coming, and we need to be prepared." he said in a loud voice. “I know I’m just an outsider to most of you, but we need to unite and train. Voss will be defenseless if we do not prepare for the battle ahead.”

“And why should we listen to you?” one Gormak spoke up.

“He’s the best we’ve got." another spoke up, Anakin recognizing as Rak-Ta. “Outsider Skywalker can teach us better techniques. We will not be ready to face the Outsiders if we do not take his advice.”

“What experience do you have, Outsider, that makes you any more qualified to go to battle than us?” another asked from the back of those who were gathered.

Anakin squared his shoulders. “I’ve battled enemies similar to the Outsiders. I know how they think, how they fight. I can teach you proper defence and perrying moves to protect yourself and others around you. Fighting the Sith is no easy challenge, and without the proper training, they’re going to rip everyone to shreds.”

“We spar each other in training every day. Why wouldn’t that be enough experience? We would just need to follow through on our movements and not show restraint to prevent harming each other.” another protector, one of the very few Little Voss in the sea of mostly Gormaks said.

“Because the Sith don’t fight fair. They won’t hesitate to cut off an arm or a leg to make you less of a threat to them.” Anakin grabbed his lightsaber and ignited the blade. “They have weapons like this that can go through any surface.”

To prove his point, he plunged the blade of his weapon into the floor, showing how it easily went through the stone.

Everyone stepped back, their usually calm expressions more open with a wide-eyed shock. It was clear that while the Voss’ archives held knowledge of lightsabers, it wasn’t a commonly known weapon amongst the people.

“What’s the point of even trying to fight if they can cut through anything like that?!” someone asked.

“This is why we need to train, so we have a chance to fight back against a weapon like this. I can teach you what you need to know, but we need to act fast if we have any hope of knowing how to handle lightsabers before the Sith arrive.”

Everyone started talking amongst themselves a moment before one Voss stepped forward, placing a hand over her heart with a bow of respect, “Alright, teach us what you can. We can not allow the Outsiders to take the Mystics or destroy the Shrine.”

Anakin deactivated his weapon and nodded. "Everyone grab a vibroblade and stand about an arm's length away from each other."

There was shuffling sounds as everyone who didn’t have a vibroblade got one and they all tried to get enough space to practice in.

“We need to wait for Obi-Wan." Anakin said to Rak-Ta as everyone else was getting in position. “He wanted to learn how to use a weapon, so I figured now would be a good time to teach.”

To his surprise, Rak-Ta gave a nod of approval, “It is good for Mystic Obi-Wan to learn should a protector not be near him. But we can start learning now and you can catch him up once he arrives.”

Anakin nodded. “Better to get started now than later. We don’t want to be caught off guard.” 

Sighing, Anakin went to face the group of protectors before him wielding vibroblades. He ignited his lightsaber once more and began teaching some basic moves that would help defend against the Sith. He had the group perform moves over and over to help them memorize, then it was a series of moves to be memorized, going slow at first, then eventually practicing faster.

After a while the doors opened and about a dozen Voss and a few Little Voss smoothly slipped in without a sound, Obi-Wan among them. Based on their dress, it was easy to assume they were all Mystics though they each had changed into slacks over the usual robes. Though most of their tops were still long in places.

Obi-Wan lead the group around the practicing protectors, and over to Anakin, “All of us Mystics wish to learn what we can to defend ourselves if need be.” he said when Anakin paused in his movements to look at them.

Anakin smiled at the group of Mystics. “Great. I’ll catch you guys up while everyone else starts some sparring.” He turned the larger group and told them to pair up and spar against each other while he taught the Mystics.

“Okay, I’m not sure how many vibroswords are left, but everyone will need one, or a one handed weapon of some sort that’s similar to a sword.”

“We have these.” Obi-Wan shifted to take a dagger from where it hung on his hip. It was long and finely decorated, though undeniably sharp. “We use them in healing, but they, themselves are not sacred. They are not as long as the swords, but we are familiar with handling them. Would they work?”

“They’re a bit short and won’t do anything to block a lightsaber, but they should work with most of the other moves I’ve been teaching. Let’s form a grid, everyone facing me, and just do what I do.”

Anakin began training the mystics, their training going much slower than the protectors’ had. Not that Anakin had a problem with that. He knew they were not trained in combat, and this was likely the first time they had ever been in any sort of active training.

The Mystics seemed to struggle in learning the techniques of using their long daggers as weapons, though no one made a mistake that caused them or those around them any harm, either. However, they did all seem to need breaks more often than the protectors, quickly becoming short of breath as they hadn’t built up an endurance over years of training as their protectors had.

Slowly but surely, the Mystics got better at using their weapons, and Anakin was proud of their progress. He went back and forth between groups to keep them training and learning until he decided to give everyone a break. 

Obi-Wan had worked up a sweat which made stray strands of his hair clinging to his skin as he moved over to a bench and sat down, taking a canteen of water and opening it to drink down the entire thing, he was sure.

Anakin worked his way over to Obi-Wan and offered him more water. "Everyone is learning really well. I have high hopes."

“I have a new respect for our protectors. This is hard work.” He said, coaxing the Jedi to sit next to him so he could lean against his side.

"Yeah, it can be taxing sometimes." Anakin sat down and wrapped an arm around Obi-Wan's shoulders.

“I feel like a shower would be blissful.”

"I think everyone here can agree with you."

“Problem is, we don’t know how much time we have left and I for one would rather be clothed when the Outsiders make their attack.” Obi-Wan sighed.

"Yeah, we might not get proper showers for a while." Anakin shrugged. "Just makes our scents stronger."

“Not a great thing, really. I like feeling clean and smelling nice.”

"Then as soon as this is all over you can get cleaned up and smelling as nice as you want."

“A nice bath with scented oils would be lovely for two to share.” the Mystic hinted, though he realistically knew it wouldn’t happen. Not any time soon. There was so much to do, and while he felt antsy to run for safety, he knew that the Mystics all needed to stay in the temple as long as they could. It was a sacred place and the Mystics all had a sacred bond to it. It affected the rest of the planet if the Mystics all left the Shrine. It seemed to upset a hidden balance. They had no choice but to take a stand and try to stay where they were.

“I agree.” Anakin smiled and pulled Obi-Wan closer. “A nice bath with my omega sounds pretty good.”

“We have so many nice plans, I just wish we could skip over the whole Outsider threat to be able to—” Obi-Wan was cut off by a loud bang and the floor shaking under them.

Anakin was on his feet instantly, hand grabbing Obi-Wan’s shoulder to keep him close. “Kark, they really didn’t give us much time did they?”

“We wouldn’t have even had enough time to get back to my rooms to get cleaned up.” Obi-Wan nodded, looking up as another explosion shook the Shrine.’s very foundation. “I hope enough groups were evacuated.”

“We’ll protect anyone we can.” Anakin turned to the others who were on alert, addressing them before they went off to fight. “Alright, protect who you can; fight as much as you can, make Voss proud.”

“For Voss!” someone shouted in a burst of courage that had everyone turning to storm out and meet the battle that waited above them.

* * *

To be continued...


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year, everyone!

Most of the shrine was in ruins. The Sith were attacking almost with full force, clearly determined to get what was locked away inside. Protectors were falling left and right, so many giving up their lives to protect the place that was most sacred for all of Voss’ native people. Anakin did his best to keep Obi-Wan safe while they took down any stray Sith that had moved away from their pack. The blond’s alpha side was truly shining through as he fought, even slamming one Sith against a wall with a growl before driving the blade of his lightsaber through them.

It was a frightening experience for Obi-Wan and the other Mystics as they tried to make it to their safe room. Really, they had hoped to be in the small room together before the attack started, but they had spent too much time trying to learn to defend themselves. It was a good thing to learn, but they were far from ready to fight as their protectors were, and they couldn’t leave the shrine if they could avoid it.

With hands on the hilts of their daggers, the Mystics all ran from room to room, a group of protectors around them to keep them safe, but it was slow. The Outsider’s numbers were overwhelming and Mystics were easily being dispersed and cornered by small packs of Sith before being dragged away from the shrine in little to no time. Even the protectors were hardly able to do their job of protecting the Mystics. It was complete chaos with no end in sight as the shrine shook violently over and over. 

The safe room was so far away and screams of pain were echoing through the once peaceful halls that had promised safety and healing.

One pack of Sith managed to surround Obi-Wan and Anakin before separating the two, Anakin occupied with fighting back some vicious attacks while Obi-Wan was being cornered, just like other Mystics.

Whimpering inwardly, Obi-Wan took out his dagger, jabbing and swiping it at the Sith as they started to crowd around him.

A Zabrak with red skin adorned with heavy black tattoos laughed cruelly, spinning his red saberstaff and cutting right through the primitive weapon. In a panic as to what to do with a bladeless dagger, Obi-Wan threw it at the Sith, watching it bounce off the horns on his head before clattering to the floor. It didn't seem to phase the Sith at all.

Turning, Obi-Wan was left with no choice but to run, becoming the rodus in a game of rodus and felinx.

The Sith took chase after Obi-Wan, their red lightsabers buzzing angrily as they chased. None of them seemed to relent, dark laughter and shouts of directions following Obi-Wan no matter where he went. The sith only closed in on him the longer they ran on, and eventually they cornered the poor Mystic with no place to run anymore. The rodus had been caught.

The zabrak from before closed in on Obi-Wan, pointing his lightsaber towards the redhead's face. "No place to run this time, omega, he growled."

"No, you have seemingly cornered me quite well, but I have foreseen my escape this time, Outsider." Obi-Wan said, offering a smile. "And a Mystic's vision is never wrong."

"You've got some nerve speaking against us when you're cornered like this."

The sith started growling around Obi-Wan, crowding closer and pressuring the omega to submit. Their efforts were a lost cause however, because soon Anakin came flying in with his lightsaber ignited, cutting down one of the Sith easily.

“Anakin.” Obi-Wan relaxed, “I knew you’d get here in time.” Once it was safe to move, he hurried over to Anakin’s side to stay close.

Anakin growled as the sith quickly learned they were outmatched by one simple Jedi. Thankfully Obi-Wan wasn't harmed, to Anakin's relief. He only relaxed when the ones left alive were far enough away to not pose a threat anymore. "Sorry we got separated. I had a bunch of Sith gang up on me suddenly."

“I knew it’d happen at some point. It was in my vision, but so was you rescuing me so I wasn’t that worried. But if it happens again...I haven’t seen any further than what just happened so…” he squeezed Anakin’s arm above his mechanical prosthetic. 

“Hopefully we can get you to the safe room before something like this happens again.” Anakin pulled Obi-Wan closer. “Let’s hurry.”

“I hope at least some of the others made it. We got scattered.” Obi-Wan nodded as he let his alpha protectively pull him along.

“I saw at least one get taken. I tried to save her, but she was already being taken away by the time I got to where she was.” Anakin sighed as he deactivated his lightsaber and clipped it back onto his belt.

“What are you doing? We may need to use that thing again!” Obi-Wan said, shaking Anakin’s arm.

“Don’t worry, I can take it out again easily, just focus on getting to shelter.” The blond urged Obi-Wan on as he started to run, keeping an eye out for any danger.

“I don’t know what happens after this. I haven’t foreseen it.” Obi-Wan insisted before lowering his voice, “I’m scared.”

"I'm here to protect you." Anakin reassured. "I'll get you to the safe room, I promise."

“I know you’ll do your best, but we’re under attack and it is much more frightening than I imagined. I’m used to being confident in what the future brings, but my vision was far too short. I do not like this unknown situation we are in. I do not like knowing the Outsiders have already claimed some of my Mystic siblings, that so many Voss have fallen at the Outsider’s hand. I—” he was starting to work himself up into a panic attack when he was abruptly cut off when the ceiling caved in in front of them. He cried out as Anakin pulled him to his body as he leapt out of the way of the falling stone, keeping them safe but cut off from their path forward.

When the falling debris had settled, Anakin sighed. “Kark, getting to the safe room is harder than I thought it was going to be.”

“Getting anywhere is hard.”

“I don’t know if we can get to the safe room now. There’s too much debris and the attacks only seem to keep coming.”

“What should we do?”

“We could try to wait everything out, but I doubt that will end in us making it out alive.” Anakin sighed, looking around. “I might be able to get us out of here, but we risk being seen and shot at.”

“The safe room has a secret escape route, that’s why we had hoped to be there when the Outsiders came. But it seems we may not make it there.” They had been too busy, some Mystics helping to organize the evacuation groups, some working to secure the most important areas of the shrine, and, of course, some who had wanted to learn self defence — just in case. Obi-Wan doubted any had reached the safe room before the attack.

“Can one get in through the escape route?”

“If you know where the exit is hidden, I suppose, but I don’t know where it leads.”

Anakin nodded. “If we make a mad dash towards the safe room, we might be able to make it. That looks like our best option right now if we want to get to the room. It’d probably be safer at this point anyways.”

“If we can get there without being crushed or cornered.”

“A big if.” Anakin pulled Obi-Wan close. “I’m going to use the Force to get us moving faster, just so you’re prepared.”

“What should I do? Hold on tight? Let you pick me up? What’s easiest for you?”

“Hold tight and don’t look down if you’re afraid of heights.”

“Look down? We’re going up?”

“Yep, better vantage point up high above the debris. Trust me on this.” Anakin picked up Obi-Wan and carried him while he summoned strength from the Force and leapt up onto some debris. 

Obi-Wan held tightly onto his alpha, trusting him in his plan to get them to safety.

Anakin jumped and ran almost like he was gliding on air, jumping from one pile of rubble to the next. He had a brief thought that they might make it to the safe room without any more trouble, but he was sorely mistaken when blasterbolts started firing at the two of them. He panicked for a moment before tucking them away in some debris, waiting for a moment and looking at his surroundings. He didn't have much time, or the Sith would be on them in a matter of minutes. Anakin had to think fast, and luckily he spotted a place to jump right as one of the Sith popped its head into the hole the couple were hiding in.

With a shout, Anakin launched himself and Obi-Wan out of the hole, hurling his ignited lightsaber at the sith at the same time, then calling it back to his hand once they were on the move again.

Obi-Wan let out a muffled sound as he hid his face in Anakin’s neck.

Luckily the two were able to escape the Sith that were chasing them. Anakin was more relaxed once more while traveling over and in-between debris. 

Finally they reached the entrance to the safe room, and Anakin urged Obi-Wan inside first, considering the mystic was far more important to Voss than an outsider Jedi. The blond made sure they weren't being followed before he also entered and followed Obi-Wan.

The room was empty, no other Mystic had made it there, unless they had decided to use the hidden escape route. It was a little disheartening to Obi-Wan that there were no other Mystics there, and he hoped that he wasn’t actually the only one to have escaped capture.

“I guess...we should just go on.” Obi-Wan said, moving around the room and searching for the stone that would open the secret door out. “After seeing the destruction, I’m sure they’ll discover this room and break their way in.”

"I hope there are others on the other side of the escape route…" Anakin looked around the empty room cautiously, not liking how dead it felt.

“I do too. Ah.” Finding the right stone, Obi-Wan pushed it firmly and one of the stone slabs on the floor lowered and slid out of the way. “There will be a lever down there to close it so if the Outsiders get into the safe room, they can’t see where we went.”

“Good, let’s get going.” Anakin followed Obi-Wan into the escape route, activating his lightsaber for a light source.

Once they were both in, Obi-Wan closed the trap door and nodded, “Alright, we shouldn’t have Outsider issues now.”

"Shouldn't?" Anakin muttered as they started along the escape route. It was dark and damp, an underground tunnel for travel when secrecy was important. Anakin wasn't too fond of it, but it was better than crawling around in wet sand, which was just as bad as dry sand. 

“There’s a chance they find out how to follow us, but also a chance they won’t.” Obi-Wan shrugged as he pressed forward into the darkness.

* * *

To be continued...


	11. Chapter 11

It was a long, winding path, with a few forks that were made to get any pursuers lost should they find the entrance, but Obi-Wan knew the way, keeping them on the right path. Eventually, the tired pair came to what seemed like a dead end; a pile of large stones blocking the path. But again, Obi-Wan remained calm and stepped forward, touching one of the stones, “This is the exit, I believe. We just need to move these.”

“Need someone to use the Force on them?”

“That would be easier than us trying to move them by hand. So if you could…”

Anakin nodded and stepped forward, raising his arms as he called upon the Force. Slowly the rocks began to move and part on either side of the exit. Sunlight started filling the tunnel, making the alpha feel loads better, especially when he heard no blasterfire or angry humming of lightsabers. He gently set the rocks down and let them settle before he grabbed Obi-Wan’s hand and led him through the exit. When they were out, Anakin put the rocks back in their place.

It was evening, the setting sun shedding a pinkish-orange over the land, smoke was curling in the distance, but the planet was at peace here.

As Anakin placed the rocks back in place, Obi-Wan wandered up onto the top of a hill and sat down, simply looking out at the surroundings far from the shrine or any village.

Exhaling in relief, Anakin turned and looked at Obi-Wan sitting on the hill, looking out at the scenery before him. The blond smiled and trekked up the hill before sitting next to his omega. He sighed as a gentle breeze blew by. After a bit, Anakin moved to wrap his arms around Obi-Wan and nuzzle the redhead. At last they weren’t threatened by the chaos that was war.

“We're safe here, Obi." Anakin said, testing out the shortened name and deciding he liked it. He took note of how the omega was shaking slightly. "I promise. Everything is gonna be okay, alright?"

Obi-Wan blinked and looked up at his alpha. Anakin must have took that as his being unsure, and he took Obi-Wan’s arms in his hands gently, whispering another “I promise.”

The omega let out a small laugh and he leaned in close, feeling safe being tucked in so closely with the alpha he loved, “Just like the first time I ever saw your face.”

Anakin pulled back to look at the redhead. “I’m assuming you mean your vision of me you had a long time ago?”

Obi-Wan nodded, “The reason why I knew you’d come to Voss, even if the Jedi did not help us.” he gave another little chuckle, “I’m just so shaken from everything I didn’t quite recognize this hill, so it still surprised me.”

“Well you have time to relax now. We’re far away from any danger here.”

“Yes but I’m also the only Mystic that managed to escape…”

“You don’t know that. The others could be in a village nearby.”

“You didn’t notice the mud at the end of the tunnel. How there were no other footprints than ours.”

“Oh… I guess I didn’t. I’m so sorry, Obi.” Anakin hugged Obi-Wan once more.”

“It’s horrible. Our visions are supposed to help Voss prepare for what’s to come. But they made no difference.”

“Maybe there are young Voss who are waiting to become Mystics. You can train them and prepare them.”

“We can’t just start over and let our own be used by those Sith Outsiders!”

“I understand, we need to rescue them.” Anakin sighed. “We need more people though. Rescues won’t work unless we have plans and people.”

“If only the Jedi had been here to help.” Obi-Wan said, a bit bitterly.

"The outcome might have ended up the same." Anakin squeezed Obi-Wan's shoulder. "I'm sure they're coming as fast as they can."

"They could have already been here! Just by sending more than just you. They should have made a difference. They claim to help planets in need, but they don't trust a planet with people who can see the future who claim a dangerous enemy of theirs will be attacking! They had to wait, and because of that..."

"I know, I should have pushed for more to come, and I didn't." 

“I don’t blame you, Anakin. You came, you came to help and you did all you could to help in the time we had to prepare.”

"We're still not where we need to be though. The Sith are going to tear apart Voss if we don't get help soon."

“They already are tearing Voss apart. So many of our settlements are already burning, even the Shrine of Healing… And here we are, on the run, separated from everyone who has survived so far, most Mystics captured, Protectors fallen...and no further visions to help us prepare.”

Anakin shifted closer and grabbed one of Obi-Wan’s hands, clasping it in both of his own. “Maybe we can try meditation again. We might get a vision or something out of it that will help us.”

“There is no guarantee I’ll get a vision, and we’re vulnerable out here. Once I’m meditating I won’t know what’s happening, and I won’t be able to hear you. So if we are found…”

“I’ll make sure you’re safe. I promise I will.”

Obi-Wan nodded, “Alright, I’ll try.” he shifted away from Anakin and got into position before closing his eyes in meditation.

Together they waited, silent as the wind continued to blow gently. No sounds of war could be heard, not even any ships in the sky could be seen. Anakin willed Obi-Wan to focus and relax, be led where the Force wanted to lead him.

_ Flashes of color filled Obi-Wan’s vision. People were falling left and right, Sith, Jedi, Voss, Gormak, Little Voss. It was chaos, war that couldn’t be stopped and was only going to get uglier if nothing was done about it. Women and children were screaming, ruins were being destroyed further. Nearby, an explosion went off, flinging anyone within a certain radius off their feet. Sith were cutting down anyone in their path just to get to Obi-Wan. _

_ The Zabrak from before jumped down and landed right in front of the redhead, his lightsaber dangerously close to Obi-Wan’s throat. “You’re the last one we need." he hissed. “You won’t be escaping this time.” _

_ “Obi-Wan, use this!” Anakin’s voice sounded distant as his lightsaber flew through the air, intended for Obi-Wan to use against the Sith, to fight.  _

_ Blue and red clashed together, giving Anakin enough time to gather up the remaining Jedi and Voss natives to regroup. It wasn’t long before they were rushing the remaining sith, lightsabers and vibroblades raised in a war cry that would have made any other enemy freeze in their tracks. _

_ And then a voice was screaming a command that would change the battle amidst the ruins of Voss-Ka. _

_ “FIRE!” _

Startled as the vision ended abruptly with a blaze of blaster fire that turned his vision white, Obi-Wan fell back with a gasp, his eyes open as the glow in them faded away and the darkened sky above them came into view.

“Obi-Wan? Are you okay?” Anakin’s voice was cautious as he gently touched the redhead’s hand, eyes wide with worry.

The Mystic rolled over on his side towards the Jedi, curling up and hiding his face in Anakin’s leg, “I am the last Mystic free—and the Sith Outsiders know it. They won’t stop until they have me, and so—so many die trying to stop the Sith Outsiders. Voss, Jedi...so much blood soaks the ground of Voss-Ka—or what remains of Voss-Ka…”

Anakin put a hand on Obi-Wan’s head. “Easy…Is there anything else you saw? Were the Sith winning or losing?”

“I didn’t see everything. Not the end. The Sith Outsiders had the upper hand but it also seems like we were about to turn things around, but without further information I can’t tell you if we succeed.”

“Hopefully whatever happens happens in our favor.” Anakin helped Obi-Wan sit back up and brushed off his back. 

“Hope is all we have to win this war and get the Sith Outsiders off Voss. at least until we have a vision that can confirm it.”

The alpha picked a leaf out of Obi-Wan’s hair and nodded. “We’ll make it through. This war may go beyond Voss, but if we can protect Voss enough so that the senate sees what’s going on, we will have a better chance at winning.”

“Up until now Voss has only cared about Voss, but maybe things will have to change and Voss will have to have a representative to go to that senate to keep Voss tied to the stars.”

“I think you’d make a good senator. You know a lot about Voss, plus you’re a mystic.”

“Mystics should stay where our visions and healing can help Voss the best. A senator should work more with The Three as they are the ones that handle the politics of Voss.”

“Is it unheard of for a Mystic to become one of the Three?”

“Yes. We Mystics have our roles on Voss, and we do work with the Three, but their duties are not our duties.”

Anakin nodded. “So only one of the Three can become a senator?”

“No, we will have the Three here on Voss, and likely will elect another to be our new position of senator who will travel the Stars. If Voss choses to keep communications with the Stars, of course.”

“Of course. Hopefully the Three decide that communicating with the rest of the galaxy will be helpful.”

“Once we have a new Three in place.”

“Right.” Anakin chuckled. “Think Nodin-Va could be one of the three?”

“He would have to give up on being an Interpreter. So that is a choice I do not know if he would make.”

“I think he’d rather stay here and keep an eye on me so I don’t do anything he doesn’t like to you.” The alpha shrugged with a smile, wrapping an arm around his omega’s shoulders.

"Mm, overprotective Interpreter." He sighed and looked out over the horizon where the sun had disappeared behind, “What is our next move? We can’t stay out here in the open all night.”

“Well, I’d say we make camp or try to find a village.”

“Which is best at this point? It’s already dark out.”

“Probably the camp. We should find some sticks to make a fire.”

Nodding, Obi-Wan stood up, “Okay, finding some firewood it is.”

Anakin stood up beside him and brushed himself off. “Hopefully there’s enough fallen branches for us to use.”

“Your light sword can cut up logs and trees if we need, right?”

“Yeah, just don’t want to stir up trouble if we’re not as safe as we think we are here.”

“We need to do what we need to do. And tonight is already getting quite cold. We’ll need a fire to keep warm, food if we can find it. It’s a clear night so we shouldn’t need a shelter…”

“After we get a fire going, I’ll see if there’s anything around that I can hunt for food. I won’t stray too far away from the fire, so you should be safe.”

Nodding, Obi-Wan took Anakin’s hand, “Light the way so we can see where we are going.”

Anakin ignited his lightsaber with a smile. Off they went to gather firewood. It took some time, but eventually they gathered enough to make a decent sized fire, one that would keep them warm through the night. Anakin started the fire using his lightsaber, and once it was blazing, he deactivated his weapon and clipped it back onto his belt.

“Mind if I sit with you by the fire to warm up a little before I hunt?" he asked his omega.

“If you think that won’t cause us to stay up too late tonight, then I can not deny some quality time with you.”

“I may be an alpha, but I do still get cold from time to time.” The blond chuckled as he sat down, pulling Obi-Wan close.

“Really? Even though alphas run quite warm compared to non-alphas? You’re like a heater when we cuddle. It’s nice.”

“I may be warm on the outside, but I’m colder than I seem to be.”

“Maybe it’s a biological thing to help the alpha’s omega feel warm and safe while not making the alpha overheat, then.” Obi-Wan hummed in thought.

“Maybe.” Anakin sighed and leaned his head down on Obi-Wan’s. 

Obi-Wan shifted closer leaning against his alpha and snuggling into the feeling of warmth and safety that Anakin provided him. “Do you think my mom made it far enough away when the attack started?”

“I think so. I was able to get a sense of her presence in the Force when we were traveling together, and I can still feel her alive.”

“Good.”

Anakin nuzzled Obi-Wan and closed his eyes. He decided he was warm enough to go hunting, so after a bit, he stood up and brushed himself off. “I’ll look around for some food. Shout if you need anything.”

“Alright. If you find red berries with little green dots on them, those are edible. It’s the time of year when they are still in season.”

"Right, I'll keep an eye out." 

With that Anakin left to find food. His hunting and foraging proved to be successful, as he returned with several berries and one of the three headed serpents he had learned to skin before. The berries had stained his tunic, but he hadn't had a choice of where to put the berries, as he didn't have a bucket or any sort of container with him.

Carefully sitting down, Anakin made sure the berries were where Obi-Wan could grab some. "I ran some creek water over the berries, so they're washed a little."

“Not that it matters much without a dish to put them on. But it’s a nice try.” Obi-Wan chuckled, popping one in his mouth.

Anakin shrugged. "Figured it was better to have them somewhat washed and without bugs on them."

“I wouldn’t enjoy eating bugs.” the omega agreed.

"Well it's not that bad, if you know what ones are okay to eat. I've eaten plenty of bugs."

Shuttering, Obi-Wan shook his head, “No thank you.”

"Of course I'd never choose to actually eat them if I had other food. It's almost always when I don't have other food when I resort to bugs."

“You still put squirmy bugs in your mouth.”

"Not that often, I promise. I'm not a nasty human who enjoys eating bugs all the time."

“Well, if we ever win this war against the Sith Outsiders, we’ll be set with a normal life with normal food.”

“Thank the Force.” Anakin smiled and got to work skinning the animal he had caught.

Obi-Wan reached over to grab the stick they were using to poke the fire, and shifted things around a bit so the flames wouldn’t go out.

Soon there was meat to be cooked over the fire, Anakin skewering it on sticks so it could cook without the two holding onto it. Once the meat was settled and cooking, the alpha sat next to Obi-Wan once more and cuddled him.

“Long day, hu?” Obi-Wan smirked, curling into his side.

“You know it was, you were there by my side for most of it.” Anakin sighed heavily, though there was a small smile on his lips.

“That’s why I knew to comment on how long it has been.”

Anakin chuckled. “Yeah, the day’s been long…I could say the same about something else but…” He shrugged, the smile now a smirk.

“Something else was long? What was—oh.” with a flushed face, the omega looked down at Anakin’s lap where there was a rather obvious start to a bulge. “ _ Oh _ .”

“Of course we don’t have to act upon it." Anakin said. “But the offer is there if you’re interested.”

“We’ll see the situation after we eat. We don’t want to burn our dinner.”

“Yeah, burned food would be as bad as eating bugs, wouldn’t it?”

“No, it is more preferable than bugs.”

“But the bugs wouldn’t be burned. Burned food versus unburned bugs.” Anakin shrugged, smirking even more. “I don’t know, the choice seems clear to me.”

“And that clear choice is to eat the burned food.”

“You’re really determined not to ever eat bugs in your life.” The blond chuckled and hugged Obi-Wan.

“As is a very normal thing for most, I’m sure.” he replied simply and matter-of-factly.

“I’m sure there are cultures that eating bugs is a normal thing to do.”

“Certainly not on Voss.”

“That you know of. Maybe ancient Voss ate bugs daily.”

“There are no such records of such a thing.”

“Which means it was possible. Not everything in history gets written down, you know. Prime example, the modern Jedi didn’t know Voss existed because we didn’t have any records.”

“If our records survive the Sith Outsiders’ attacks, then you should take a look at them. We document everything. Our only gaps are what was left behind in the Nightmare Lands and hasn’t been uncovered again yet due to the fear of what that area used to be like.”

“Crawling with bug eaters I imagine.” Anakin shifted forward to turn the skewers over so the other side could cook.

“You’re horrible, do you know that?”

“Me? Horrible? Why would you ever say such a thing about your alpha?” Anakin rolled his eyes with a smile as he returned to Obi-Wan’s side.

“Because not only does my alpha eat  _ bugs _ but he is trying to imply Voss ancestors ate them as well.”

“I don’t eat bugs all the time, I told you that.”

“But you do eat them.”

“Very rarely.”

“Rarely is still too much to something that is so— _ no thank you _ !”

Anakin let out a bark of laughter, falling on his back and wrapping his arms around his stomach. “Force, I’m sorry, I just had way too much fun with that.”

Obi-Wan gave him a pouting look, “You were teasing me.”

“I was only having fun. I hope you weren’t offended by it.”

Giving Anakin’s leg a gentle swat, Obi-Wan huffed with a roll of his eyes, “Outsiders.”

“Hey, I got you to show another emotion, so I’d say this is a win.”

“I’m alone with my alpha, of course I’m going to be free with showing my emotions.”

“Well I should hope so, especially later after we eat.”

“You know for a fact there is no way of holding  _ anything _ in when we partake in  _ that _ .”

“Even when we happen to be in your room in the shrine.” Anakin chuckled, leaning over to nuzzle his omega.

“That’s my private room. It’s perfectly fine for me to let loose in my own space. Most Little Voss need to be able to let out their emotions in private. We are a bit more prone to deep emotions than Voss or Gormak—unless you speak of anger, Gormak are quite open about that.”

"At least we're out in the middle of nowhere. We have the same freedom here as we had back in your room."

“Well, that’s debatable. But if someone did happen across us here, they wouldn’t say anything if we are showing affection as we were alone and we are—well,  _ will  _ be—married.”

"I would say I'd hope no one would come by, but I do hope there's at least some survivors from the attack on the shrine."

“If we do—have fun—maybe we should try to avoid you knotting me so that if someone does come we aren’t—locked together with our pants around our ankles?”

"Probably a good idea." Anakin wrapped an arm around Obi-Wan's shoulders.

The omega nodded, shifting up to press a kiss to Anakin’s scent gland.

A satisfied noise left the alpha's throat, moving to return the kiss to Obi-Wan's scent gland. "If we didn't have food cooking I swear I could just take you right now."

“If we didn’t have food cooking, I wouldn’t protest that idea. It’s been a while...and my heat is due soon so we won’t be able to do anything when that starts.”

"Hopefully we'll be in a comfortable place so you'll be able to go through heat without distress."

“We will need to find a place where I can nest and feel safe. I can’t be out in the open like this, that’s for sure.”

"I wouldn't even suggest being out in the open. Maybe we can find a village that would be willing to house you." Anakin sighed and rested a hand on Obi-Wan's thigh.

“I’m sure they will if they are still standing Voss takes care of Voss. So many homes have been lost.”

The alpha nodded.

It wasn't much longer before their food was done cooking. Anakin handed one skewer to his partner before diving into their meal.

Obi-Wan handed a few berries over to the alpha, “These taste good together, since we don’t have proper seasoning. When I was a kid I put berry juice on everything because I was a picky eater.”

Anakin smashed the berries into a sort of paste before spreading it over his food. He took a bit and his eyes lit up. "These do taste good together. Way better than the first time I ate this type of meat."

“I’m glad you like it.” Obi-Wan smiled, grabbing some berries for his own meal.

"You need to show me more Voss food because so far I've been impressed several times, even by the food at the shrine."

“If you end up living here like you plan to, you’ll have a lifetime with me to try all of the foods Voss has to offer.”

"Sounds like a culinary paradise."

“I wouldn’t know if it’s that as I haven’t been exposed to much of the food the Stars have to offer, but we have some tasty dishes.”

"Sharing food with you is always going to be fun, no matter what food it is."

Humming, Obi-Wan finished his half of their shared meal and wiped his hands off on the grass. “I’m sure you’d say that about doing anything with me.”

"Well of course. Any time I get to spend with you is the best time." Anakin finished his food, then he laid back in the dry grass and sighed, closing his eyes.

"Tired?"

“Not really, just relaxing.” Smiling, Anakin opened his eyes again and looked up at the redhead.

"Oh really." Obi-Wan smiled and shifted over until he was settled on top of the alpha. 

“Figured relaxing was the best thing to do after such a hectic day.” The alpha’s hands rested on Obi-Wan’s hips lightly.

He hummed and kissed Anakin's shoulder.

Anakin turned his head to kiss Obi-Wan’s neck, arms moving to wrap around the omega’s neck. “I bet there’s a lot of things on your mind." his spoke softly, hugging Obi-Wan.

"Too much, actually." Obi-Wan agreed. 

“Can I offer to help you forget everything for a little while?”

"Oh visions, yes."

Anakin shifted so that Obi-Wan was beneath him, arms on either side of the redhead. He wasted little time to kiss his omega’s neck right on the scent gland.

Humming, the omega tilted his head back to expose his neck in a show of trust and submission. 

The alpha crooned happily at the submission, naturally taking up his position as an alpha and soothing Obi-Wan while also stimulating him. Soon he was tugging at clothes and shifting a knee to settle between the omega’s legs.

“Do you want the same position as last time, or do you want to try something new?” the omega asked in a whisper as he shifted to allow himself to be stripped of his layers.

"You have a nice new position in mind? I'm willing to try."

“It...might be nice to be facing each other?” Obi-Wan suggested. It wasn’t a traditional position, but the idea of it seemed more personal between an alpha and omega.

"I think facing each other would be nice."Anakin smiled while sitting back to remove his tunic, being careful not to throw it in the fire.

“Really? You won’t mind a non-traditional position? I heard alphas can be very picky on how they take their omegas. That they like their omegas in perfect submission.”

"I do love the perfect submission, but I love you more than a simple position. As long as you're comfortable, I'm fine with any position."

Obi-Wan flushed and turned his head away shyly, “And you’ll still tell me I’m a good omega?”

"Of course." Anakin purred. "You're always a good omega."

The omega smiled and nodded, turning back to the alpha, “I like it when you tell me that.”

"How much do you like it?" Anakin asked, his voice having a little rough tone to it.

“A lot. It makes me feel like I’ve pleased my alpha, and a happy alpha makes sure their omega feels safe and loved, and—I know these are all traditional alpha-omega things, but it makes me happy. I’m not a fan of the controlling tradition, but the other stuff...they feel right.”

"Well you have nothing to worry about. Your alpha is very pleased in you most if not all the time, and he will do anything in his power to make sure you feel as safe as possible and loved very much." Anakin leaned his head down to capture Obi-Wan's lips in a kiss.

Kissing back, Obi-Wan cupped his alpha’s cheek with his palm, enjoying that the position would give him the opportunity to touch his alpha back while he was being fucked. “I want you to feel just as loved.”

“Whenever I know that you’re happy, that’s how I know and feel just as loved. You’re happy to be with me, happy to let me take care of you and love you back.” Anakin nuzzled Obi-Wan’s jaw with a smile. “I’m happy and loved when I know you are.”

“Such an alpha thing to say.” Obi-Wan cooed up at him, “I know you Outsiders are more open with expressing emotions, so with you, even in public, I want to show a little more of my feelings for you so you can feel loved.”

“I’d never be opposed to you showing more emotion, though you’ve been doing a lot more since we first met. I’m proud.” The alpha chuckled, placing a kiss on a pale collar bone.

“Well, it is easy to do when I see you—or think of you…”

Anakin raised an eyebrow with a smirk. “Is that implying what I think?”

“That depends on what you think I’m implying.”

“I could take a few guesses, or I could just shut up and get to the good stuff quicker.”

“Entirely up to you, my Anakin.”

Anakin hummed at being called by his full first name, along with Obi-Wan claiming him as well. It only encouraged him to keep going, shifting so he was able to be at a more comfortable angle to at least tug Obi-Wan’s pants down enough to expose his cock. He was taking the redhead into his mouth before much longer and sucking expertly to stimulate his omega.

“Oh, hello there.” Obi-Wan gasped, his hips twitching upwards just a little.

The alpha smiled as he bobbed his head while sucking Obi-Wan off. He didn’t spend much time doing so, opting rather to tug the redhead’s pants lower until they were completely off. Having his omega exposed for him out in the open was thrilling in a way that Anakin hadn’t thought of before but knew instantly he liked.

Anakin sat back on his heels and opened up the fly of his pants, pulling out his already erect cock. “Come here, I don’t want your back to get torn up by the grass.”

“My skin may get stained green, but I wouldn’t think it’d get torn up.” Obi-Wan said, obeying his alpha and moving as he was directed to.

“Still, I don’t want to damage your skin.” Anakin helped Obi-Wan climb into his lap, their cocks touching lightly as they twitched in anticipation. 

The omega gave Anakin a wicked grin, “No? Sorry to tell you this, but after we marry you will be damaging my skin quite deeply to leave your mark.”

“Oh I know. I plan on leaving a deep mark to remind you of who your alpha is. But until that point, I don’t want to ruin your perfect skin.” Anakin ran a slow hand up Obi-Wan’s back with a smirk.

Shivering, the redhead nodded, feeling himself start to get wet from the idea of his alpha’s bite.

“You thinking about how that’s going to feel when I leave my mark on you?” The alpha’s hand ran over the pale shoulder and stopping on the neck right over the scent gland.

“Yes, Alpha.” Obi-Wan admitted, tilting his head forward to let Anakin’s fingers roam his neck with only his braid in the way.

“It’ll feel good, won’t it?” Anakin let his hand fall down to Obi-Wan’s thigh, running it around to the omega’s rear and poke teasingly at the eager entrance.

“I don’t know, I’ve never been marked before.” he smirked, leaning into Anakin and spreading his legs more.

“We can pretend I’ll mark you tonight?" Anakin said while he moved his hands so they gripped both cheeks of Obi-Wan’s ass. “Get a little taste of what the future holds.”

“How would that work?”

Leaning forward, Anakin caught some of Obi-Wan’s skin in his teeth and bit down just enough to cause a little pinching feeling.

A soft gasp escaped Obi-Wan’s lips as he shivered, “You’d be able to hold back from doing it for real?”

“I might leave a mark, but it won’t be from my teeth. Not yet.”

What would it be from then?”

“Still from my mouth.” Once again Anakin attacked Obi-Wan’s neck, picking a spot and sucking while spreading his omega’s ass cheeks.

Obi-Wan parted his lips to speak again, but instead only a moan found its way past his tongue.

After some time of sucking on Obi-Wan’s neck and fingering his entrance, Anakin pulled back to admire his work. A dark spot on the pale skin of his omega’s neck made him smile wide. “Beautiful.”

“You— _ ah _ —can see it in the dim firelight?” Obi-Wan moaned out as fingers kept teasing his slick hole.

“It’s like a shadow cast by the brightest light. I can see it very clearly.”

“Good thing my undershirt has a high neck, then.” he moaned, not in protest, but simply because he could feel how high up Anakin was sucking. “And that Nodin-Va isn’t around…”

“He’d be foaming at the mouth by now, I’m sure of it.” Anakin chuckled as he pulled his hands away from his omega’s rear. He took note of how much slick was dripping down onto his pants, and pushed Obi-Wan’s legs apart just a little more. A shiver ran down his spine as he shifted his hips forward.

“Is it time, or are you teasing me still?”

“I’d like for it to be time, but I won’t go any further until you give me the word.”

“You have it.”

Lifting Obi-Wan slightly, Anakin positioned the tip of his cock right at his omega’s entrance, then he slowly guided the both of them until he was sliding inside Obi-Wan. He let out a little groan when he was fully inside his omega.

The omega moaned pleasurably as he was stretched around his alpha, his head tilting forward into Anakin’s curly hair, “I may never get used to how good you feel inside me.”

Anakin smiled. “It’s like our first time all over again. I’ll do some of the work in this position, but do what you want to feel good, okay?”

“This position does seem like we must work together to feel good.” Obi-Wan nodded, his arms slipping around his alpha and holding onto him.

“I’ll support you as much as I can, but you can set the pace, and I’ll follow.”

“I’ll do my best. Obviously I’m new at this.” Obi-Wan said, picking his head up off Anakin’s shoulder before he used his legs to lift himself up off Anakin’s cock, and then lower back down onto it with a sharp moan.

“Easy…” Anakin placed his hands on Obi-Wan’s hips, helping him move up and down in a steady rhythm. Once they were comfortable, he started to move his own hips to meet Obi-Wan’s, though he couldn’t move as much as his omega was. He made the most of it however, making sure he thrust deep every time the redhead came down on him.

“I don’t—don’t want to.” Obi-Wan moaned, happy with the slight roughness of the position.

Through his panting, Anakin raised an eyebrow. “Do you want to go rougher?”

“I-in a bit—th-this is good, Alpha.”

Anakin crooned happily and continued to meet his hips with Obi-Wan's. He decided to thrust a little rougher, but not enough to completely throw the whole rhythm off. At some point he rested a hand on his omega's stomach, thinking of the future when they might one day mate with the intention of having a baby. That thought alone made him groan and close his eyes.

The omega let out little moans every time he fell back down onto his alpha’s cock, his own smaller one twitching happily against Anakin’s stomach. “An-Ani— _ ah! _ —kin!”

Anakin was getting antsy to move more, his alpha side wanting to take control and send Obi-Wan flying over the edge of his orgasm. He kept his composure though, grabbing Obi-Wan's hips and raising more on his knees to move his own hips most like what he wanted. He only encouraged his omega to keep going down on him, making their hips connect with wet slaps.

Obi-Wan bit down on his lip and squeezed his eyes shut as Anakin managed to get even deeper, making him want to cry out in what he was sure would be a scream of pleasure.

Deeper, bigger, more!

Just like their first time, Obi-Wan felt like he couldn’t get enough of that wonderful cock that filled him so much better than any toy he had ever tried.

Anakin quickly decided he wanted more leverage, wanted to really get deep and make Obi-Wan's mind go completely fuzzy and blank. Sitting back on his knees and making the omega do most of the work just wasn't cutting it anymore. Anakin needed to fuck Obi-Wan into the ground to finish them off. He needed to show his omega who was in charge; who was going to take good care of him.

Pulling Obi-Wan off of his cock, Anakin shifted forward and laid his omega on his back once more, a look in his eyes that could only be described as a primal need to mate. Anakin was thrusting back inside his omega quickly, holding him in place so he wouldn't get much damage on his back from the grass. Not that it mattered at that point. Obi-Wan had basically said he liked when Anakin got rough, and as far as Anakin was concerned, he was going to get as rough as he dared to make the omega feel above and beyond satisfied.

Obi-Wan promptly lost what little control he had left over himself, crying out loudly as he clung to his alpha with his arms, legs, and inner muscles which started clamping down around the alpha, searching for a knot to lock with.

Anakin didn't take long to start faltering in the rhythm of his hips, pushing Obi-Wan harder into the ground as he started panting heavier. It was clear he was close to his limit, but he had to remember to pull out before he reached his climax. As much as he wanted to stay inside his omega, he also didn't want to get caught while locked inside the redhead.

“Alpha, I—I!” Obi-Wan gasped as his climax hit with a gush of more slick and a mess shooting out upon his stomach from his twitching member.

Anakin's last couple thrusts were tight fits, but the alpha managed to halt before he thrust in all the way, and with a groan he hung his head and let his climax roll through, his cock halfway inside Obi-Wan still. It almost felt wrong to make himself knot outside of the omega, and he was sure Obi-Wan felt just as odd.

The omega whimpered, wanting to feel that knot, but somewhere in the back of his mind, he remembered they had agreed not to lock together. But still, agreement or not, he craved the feel of it.

When Anakin had come off his high from his orgasm, he removed himself fully from his omega. He curled around Obi-Wan to make up for the lost feeling they couldn't indulge in. "I don't know about you, but I feel weird not knotting inside you."

“Lets not do that again. I much prefer your knot.” Obi-Wan agreed, curling into his alpha.

Anakin sighed and closed his eyes. "Yeah, I really don't like how this feels. I much prefer feeling myself fill you up."

Obi-Wan nodded, “Well, now we know.”

"Yeah, plus I like to think about how all this is going to feel when we finally spend a heat together."

“I would classify it as cruel if you didn’t knot me while helping me through my heats once we are married.” Obi-Wan huffed.

"Well good thing I'm always going to knot you from now on."

“Good. No more empty feeling.” He snuggled in closer.

Anakin let out a happy sigh and nuzzled the back of his omega's neck. "I can't wait for us to finally get married. I want to mark you and start a family, build a proper home for us and live out the rest of our lives happily."

“And how many little ones are you thinking?”

"Two or three at least."

“So you want a large family, hmm? Well, lets see how we feel after the first one. After all, you're not the one getting pregnant.”

"Of course. We have to see if we're good parents or not, so at least one to start with."

“And see if I can handle the whole childbirth thing more than once.”

"Hopefully Voss will be safer then than it is now."

The omega nodded and shivered, “Should find my clothes, it’s getting cold and the fire’s dying down.”

"I'll try to get it going again." Anakin sat up and looked around for more sticks to put on the fire while tucking himself back into his pants. Soon he had the fire burning hotter once more so they wouldn't freeze in the night as they slept.

As Anakin tended to the fire, Obi-Wan cleaned himself up as best he could before redressing himself.

Anakin dressed himself when he was happy with the fire and sat down with a yawn, intending on going to sleep. The ground wasn't going to be comfortable, but at least they were safe and had the luxury of sleeping that night.

“Are we cuddling tonight or..?” Obi-Wan asked.

"Of course. We may not have the most comfortable bed tonight, but cuddling always makes the nights better."

“We don’t even have a bed. Just the ground which isn’t the softest.” Obi-Wan said, crawling over to curl up with Anakin for the night.

"I know. Hopefully tomorrow night we'll have an actual bed to sleep in."

“And shelter.” the omega agreed with a yawn. “Good night, Anakin.”

"Good night, Obi."

* * *

To be continued...


	12. Chapter 12

Cera-Rai groaned as she stretched her old back. She was too old to be sleeping on hard floors, but there hadn’t been nearly enough soft options to go around, and the injured and sick needed it more than she did, so she wasn’t going to complain nearly as much as her back was.

Finally, she pushed herself up and wandered over to where Nodin-Va was sitting, “How’d you sleep?”

"Fair. I was up watching people to make sure everyone was as comfortable as possible, but when I did sleep, it was okay." The Voss looked up at Cera-Rai. "How about you?"

“Far too worried for me to get much. Do you know if there has been any word on the Shrine? On if the Mystics and protectors had to flee? I don’t like that tradition mandates that Mystics should stay in the Shrine until they have no choice but to leave or a vision leads one or two away for a short time.”

“I have not heard anything other than the shrine is… well, it’s taken a lot of damage. Too much.”

She nodded, keeping in control of her emotions, “Let’s go see if we can find out anything else.”

"Yes, Ma'am." Nodin-Va stood up and brushed himself off before heading off to the remaining protectors who had made it out of the attack alive.

There was a lot of chatter. Plans of what to do with the shrine and how to take care of the survivors floated through the air for those nearby to hear. It was clear they were stressed and were panicked, their homes destroyed and gone, along with most of their possessions. The reality of the disaster was that many were without homes and the protectors were not prepared to care for so many.

“Excuse me," Cera-Rai grabbed the attention of a Protector who had clearly been one who had stayed behind to protect the Mystics and the Shrine, judging by his state of injuries as he was being bandaged up by a voss with basic medical knowledge, “Do you know where the Mystics are?”

The protector turned to look at Cera-Rai, eyes glistening and expression one of horror. "Gone… they're all gone…"

“A-all of them?” she asked, unable to keep her shock from slipping into her words, “My—my son? Mystic Obi-Wan? He’s gone too?”

"I don't know, I saw so many be taken… it was horrible…"

“And...the Outsider helping us? Who was helping to protect the Mystics? Do you know what happened to him?”

"I saw him with Mystic Obi-Wan at some point. I think they were together until I fled."

“If they weren’t separated...that Outsider is my son’s chosen alpha. He wouldn’t let harm come to Obi if he can do anything about it, so maybe there is hope…”

"We can look for them after we know the shrine is safe to return to." Nodin-Va said to the worrying mother.

“Until the attacking Outsiders are gone from Voss, no place on Voss is safe. Just looking around you can tell that much. And they won’t leave until they have taken everything they want to take from Voss, which is the Mystics from what I have heard of the vision. If it’s safe to look for my Obi, then it will already be too late to find him.”

"If we go when it's still dangerous, we risk getting hurt, or worse, which your son wanted to avoid."

“The Three are gone, the Mystics are gone, we are leaderless, homeless, and sleeping in the old ruins of what used to be Gormak territory when we were not reunited as one people. We must do something to protect what little we have left, and if we have even one Mystic left, we have a chance at knowing what is yet to come.”

The Voss looked doubtful, but he sighed. "Then I suppose we should look for Mystic Obi-Wan and Outsider Skywalker as soon as possible."

“And any other Mystics and Protectors who may have avoided the Outsiders’ intended fate for them, but didn’t make it all the way here.”

"I hope there are more out there. We will be so lost if we don't have any Mystics."

She nodded in agreement, “And if the Outsiders take all of our Mystics to the Stars… I guess we’d need to find a way to get them back to Voss. We have the ship used to go get help still, right? If we needed to send someone?”

"We had to make a crash landing when we got back to Voss. I don't know how well it works."

“Oh dear. As far as I know Voss only had the one ship left.”

“That ship got left on Coruscant. We brought back a newer ship to Voss, and we crashed it.”

“That still leaves us with only a single wrecked ship.”

“Yes, so we will need to fix the ship before we take to the stars again.”

“I hope we find Outsider Anakin, then. I feel like he knows more than anyone else on Voss about fixing such things. He did help out with communicators and a few other things at the Shrine.”

“Then I guess we better start looking for him and your son. Otherwise we won’t be able to get off Voss if we need to.” Nodin-Va straightened out his clothes and looked expectantly at Cera-Rai.

“Do you have some sort of weapon? If not, we should see if we can get one before we leave.”

“I do not. Perhaps this protector will let me use his vibrosword.”

The shaken protector nodded. “Please… I don’t ever want to touch that thing again…”

Everyone who heard that, and hadn’t been in the battle at the Shrine looked startled.

“Was...the Outsiders that horrible?” asked a nearby refugee.

“They laughed as they slaughtered women and children." the protector started slowly. “They took every Mystic they could find… herded them into corners like livestock and captured them far too easily. The Mystics’ protectors were killed right in front of them. Too many… so much red…”

The poor protector began to shake with wide eyes, staring at his weapon that had splatters of blood on it. “My Mystic was taken right out of my arms… I can still hear her crying out for me…”

“It—it’s like when they attacked Voss-Ka. I was there—only three of us escaped out of sheer luck.” another refugee said, “They tortured The Three until they knew exactly how many Mystics Voss has, and where they were. Then they killed them and spread their sea of red to every village and town between Voss-Ka and the Shrine of Healing.”

“We all have seen it to some degree unless we ran before they reached our towns.” another added, “The Outsiders have no mercy or kindness. They draw out the pain of death for each Voss they touch.”

“This is really bad." Nodin-Va muttered. “We need to find Mystic Obi-Wan before the Outsiders do.”

“If they haven’t taken him already.” the worried mother agreed, taking the vibroblade from the former protector. “At least, let's hope we can find Outsider Anakin so we can try getting our mystics back should they take to the Stars again.”

The Voss nodded. “Let’s go.”

Nodding, she followed, tying the blade to her belt. “Hang in there, Obi-Doll, Mommy’s coming for you.” she muttered.

* * *

A sharp shiver racked through Obi-Wan’s body as he pulled his outer layer tighter around himself, his pace starting to slow and his legs feeling a little shaky. He wasn’t feeling the greatest as he followed behind his alpha as they made their way over the hills and valleys of the area in search of some indication as to where they were and what way they should head next.

He spoke nothing of his discomfort to Anakin as he tried to think of reasons why he would be feeling so weak and cold. His heat was due to hit soon, but preheat was usually pretty tame for him—then again, he was under a lot of stress lately, so perhaps that was the cause of the unusual feeling…

With a sigh, he decided that he should inform Anakin he wasn’t feeling so well, and he parted his lips to say Anakin’s name, only to have a gasp escape instead when his foot slipped out from under him and he fell, rolling down the rather steep hill they were climbing.

Anakin just barely saw Obi-Wan before he slipped, causing the alpha to curse and hurry back down the hill to catch his omega. Thankfully he was able to stop Obi-Wan before they were too far down the hill. Anakin heaved a sigh of relief as he sat on his butt with Obi-Wan in his lap. "Force, are you alright? That was a nasty slip."

“Sorry I’m just—I don’t feel too well all of a sudden...I was about to let you know.” Obi-Wan said, wincing as he touched a spot on his arm he was sure would become a nasty bruise.

Anakin put a hand to Obi-Wan's forehead. "You do feel warm, and you're shaking pretty good. I'm sure rolling down the hill didn't help you feel any better either."

“No, more I hurt on top of not feeling well. I’m thinking it may be stress...or preheat...or both. I’m not sure.” He curled into Anakin’s warm chest, trying to soak in the warmth before speaking again, “If it’s preheat, that gives us only hours before I’m in heat and...that’d be bad out here.”

"If it's preheat, don't worry about it. I'll get us someplace safe so you can relax and focus on nesting." Anakin stood up, carrying Obi-Wan with him and keeping him in his arms. 

“Somewhere that feels safe.” Obi-Wan muttered into Anakin’s chest.

"Definitely preheat." the alpha said as he started to climb up the hill again. Thankfully the both made it to the top of the hill, giving them a view of what lay before them. Not a single village in sight. Anakin sighed and looked around. The forest that surrounded them provided a lot of cover, but finding a comfortable spot in a forest was a lot easier said than done. He supposed if he just kept walking, they would get lucky and happen upon a farm that would allow them to stay.

"Obi, I know you're not feeling the greatest, but do you think you might recognize some of the landmarks around us?"

“As being one of the youngest Mystics, travel isn’t something I’ve done. My visit to the stars was my first time leaving the Shrine as a Mystic as usually the older Mystics are the ones to travel when a Mystic is needed elsewhere. I can try, but I was a child, still, and had only been to my mother’s family farm, Voss-Ka, and along the path that makes up the pilgrimage all potential Mystics must take. It’s another reason why Mystics usually travel with Protectors.” Obi-Wan admitted, “But if I see anything, I’ll let you know.”

"Alright, because it looks like we might have to find a spot in the forest for you to nest." Anakin started down the hill with a sigh, not liking the idea of making his omega nest in an uncomfortable place.

“Skrog.” Obi-Wan cursed, not liking the idea of nesting out in the open and using—what exactly? Twigs and leaves like some sort of overgrown bird? No, there was  _ no _ way that’d be comfortable or offer the feeling of safety.

"I'm sorry. I'm going to try to find something better, I promise."

“I know you will, I just...don’t like the bird idea.” he said, forgetting that his thoughts on nesting like a bird had all been thoughts in his mind and not voiced.

"Bird idea? You really must not feel good."

“I’m not a bird.” the omega insisted, “Sticks are not soft.”

"No, they're not." Anakin tried to reach out in the Force for anyone who might be nearby. He received a very faint signature from someone who wasn't Force sensitive but didn't feel hostile. He let himself get hopeful. "Obi… I think we may have something. I can feel someone's signature within the Force, and they feel friendly."

“Do you know what way?” Obi-Wan asked, not knowing how the Force worked.

"Not behind us, that's for sure. I might have some sort of direction, but I can't tell from this far away. I'd give it a couple hours, then I might have a better idea." Anakin started walking in the direction he thought he was getting the signature from.

Obi-Wan nodded, “I hope they are Voss and that they can help.” he said, “And that we find them before my heat hits me.”

"I'll go as far as I can, you just focus on relaxing." The alpha picked up his pace, trying not to bounce Obi-Wan around too much. The trek was long and hot, but the closer they got, the stronger a signal Anakin could pick up, which he was delighted in. He could even tell that it was indeed a small farm that the signature was coming from. 

By the time they reached the edge of the fenced-in property, Obi-Wan was feeling the start of his heat taking effect, and he’d begun to groan and shift around in a discomfort he knew wouldn’t leave him no matter what position he was in. He could also feel his under layers starting to get soaked with his slick, and he could only hope the smell he was surely starting to put off wouldn’t affect his alpha beyond control.

Anakin knew he had to get Obi-Wan nesting very soon, and he hoped that whoever lived on the farm understood what was happening. Carefully, he set his omega on the steps to the porch then knocked on the door.

It wasn't long before an older Voss woman came to the door. "Can I help you?"

"Hello Ma'am, my omega and I were trying to find a safe place to take refuge from the attacks, and he's gone into heat. I…" Anakin looked back at Obi-Wan worriedly. "I just want him to be comfortable after all that's happened."

The woman's face softened and she smiled. "Of course. I've got an extra room for the two of you with plenty of blankets and pillows. Come on in."

"Thank the Force." Anakin said as he picked Obi-Wan up again and carried him inside. He would be lying if he said the omega's scent wasn't getting to him, but he didn't have his mask to block the scent, so he had to endure it.

Obi-Wan moaned, shoving his nose into Anakin’s scent gland as he was carried inside and they were led to the spare room. He made a noise of protest when his alpha began to lower him onto the bed, but once it registered with him that he was on something soft, he relaxed and spread out on it, shifting around the few pillows already on the bed.

The woman watched the two from the door to the room, “There are extra blankets and pillows in the footlocker, I’m sure your omega would like more nesting items.”

"Thank you, ma'am. You have no idea how much this means." Anakin grabbed the extra blankets and pillows, adding them to the nest so Obi-Wan could rearrange them as he pleased.

“My grandmother had been a Little Voss omega.” she said with a headshake, “I was still very young, but I remember how rough her times of heat were. I am happy to help any omega in need like this. Especially if you two have been running. I’ve heard very little way out here, but I did hear that Outsiders have come and attacked Voss-Ka.”

"They've attacked so much more…" Anakin sat on the edge of the bed and gently touched Obi-Wan's cheek. "My omega… he's the only Mystic that didn't get captured."

“He’s a Mystic?” she gasped, her eyes wide, “And the others are all captured? That means they got to the Shrine—where were the Protectors?”

"They were there. There were just too many Outsiders, and I couldn't train them enough…"

“You are the head protector? I regret to hear of the loss of so many you have trained...as well as everyone else the Outsiders have attacked. What of the Interpreters? My nephew is one…”

Anakin looked up at the woman. "Who is your nephew?"

“Interpreter Nodin-Va.Our family is very proud of him.”

The alpha's eyes lit up. "Nodin-Va is Obi-Wan's interpreter."

“So you know him!” she gave a hint of a smile, “Do you know if he’s safe?”

"No, I wish I did. We sent him with Obi-Wan's mom in hopes that they would escape before the attack got too violent."

“So there is hope that he got out with what I’m assuming is a large group?"

Anakin nodded. "We hope they made it out alive. We were going to try and find them after Obi-Wan is done with his heat."

“Poor thing, this is really a bad time to be in heat.” she looked over at the omega who was still shifting things around in his attempt at making a comfortable nest.

"I want so badly to help him, but… we're not married yet."

“Oh, then I suppose you shouldn’t share this room with him...you may sleep on the couch. We wouldn’t want his scent to tempt you too much while you are half asleep, and he is unable to control himself.”

"Yeah…" the alpha gave a longing look towards his omega before standing up with a sigh. "Sometimes I wonder if we ever will get married. With this war going on, there are so many things that are uncertain."

“Keep protecting him, and I’m sure you’ll one day see your wedding and share a first heat together so you don’t have to watch him suffer—I’m sorry there are no toys he can use in the meantime, and the nearest town is a two day’s travel one way. At least without a speeder, and I don’t have one.”

Anakin shook his head. "At least he's in a proper nest. He was worried he'd have to act like a giant bird."

“Oh, that shows how worried he must be about his heat in an unfamiliar place—and so soon after something traumatizing.”

"He wasn't feeling well in his preheat. The stress got to him and made him sick, so I'm sure he's really not feeling that good right now."

"Some chilled water may help him once his nest is settled, and my son who lives with me to help out around the farm is out hunting. He should be back in a few hours with something for me to cook up. I know he won’t likely eat much, but something in his stomach should do him good.”

Anakin nodded. "I have an odd request… but do you have something I can wear that will block scents? Just a piece of cloth even."

“Block scents? No, not really. This is a farm, you get used to smelly things quickly around here.”

"Okay, I'll just… pull my shirt up to cover my nose when I come back in here I guess. I need to go before I'm tempted to do something stupid." Anakin exited the room, hating hearing Obi-Wan whine as he left.

“If you need to get out away from the smell, I can put you to work on the farm. There is always too much work to do. Eggs to collect, equipment to fix, you get the point.”

"I'd be more than happy to help. I'm good with machines, so if there's anything that you need fixed, I can take a look at it."

“Great. I’ll show you where we keep the tools and what all needs to be fixed.”

Anakin was glad to help out at the farm while Obi-Wan went through his heat. Fixing the farming equipment made him happy, and the time passed rather enjoyably, for the alpha anyways. He knew Obi-Wan wasn't having the greatest time, especially if he didn't have anything but himself to work with. Anakin knew to stay away from the room his omega was in, but some days were harder than others.

“I’m guessing today’s particularly rough on your intended omega.” the Woman’s son said, dropping a bag of grain on the ground and sitting down next to it to rest a bit, "Walked by the window on the way from the grainery and I could hear him call for you, even with the window shut up tight.”

Anakin flushed. "I feel bad for him. He's got nothing to help him but himself. This is probably the first time in a long time he's been without anything to help him."

“I’ve never been around an omega in heat before. It seems like torture. I’m glad Voss do not have the same quirks as you Little Voss do. I would not like being an omega, I think.”

"It's bad for an alpha, but nothing compared to what the omega goes through. Unless they have an alpha to be with. We just have to wait until we can get married. We're mostly bonded already."

“Too bad you didn’t get the chance before everything that’s been happening.” He shook his head, “You could be in there now helping him.”

"I know. There are times I'm too tempted to just go in there and help him, but I respect the Little Voss traditions. I'm going to wait."

“As your families would prefer, I’m sure.” he nodded before standing up, “I have some animals to feed, but my mother says that dinner will be soon, so don’t get too deep in grease again.” he teased lightly as he hauled the grain back up over his shoulder.

"I'll try not to." Anakin called with a smirk. He finished up working on the equipment he was sitting next to, then he stood up and wiped his hands on his pants. Entering the house, Anakin could smell Obi-Wan's scent extra strong, and he had to suppress the groan in his throat. The brief thought of standing in the doorway of the room Obi-Wan was in flashed through his mind. He could just stand there and let Obi-Wan watch him, not touching each other. 

That was probably a violation of the traditions, so Anakin sighed and walked past the hallways that lead to his omega's room, pushing down that feeling of need.

“You’re in a little early.” the owner of the farm said, glancing up at him, “I was about to take Mystic Obi-Wan his meal and some fresh water, but if you’d like to do so and check in on him for a moment, you can.”

"I would love to… I don't know if it'd be a good idea, but I think I can control myself enough."

“It is up to you, of course. Keep the door open so you have a quick exit if you find your control slipping.”

Anakin nodded. "Is his food ready to be taken to him?"

“Yes, oh, and also knock so he has time to cover himself. I do it for his modesty, but for you it’d be more to help control the temptation.” she said, putting the plate of food and a glass of chilled water onto a tray and sliding it over to Anakin.

“Thanks.” The blond picked up the tray and carried it to the room Obi-Wan was in. He knocked at a decent volume and waited before cracking the door open. “Obi? It’s me, I brought your meal and some fresh water.”

Obi-Wan’s head of messy hair popped up from behind a wall of pillows, his eyes wide and dilated as he focused on his alpha. He seemed to perk up instantly, and he smiled, “Alpha—my Anipha.” he said, Anakin’s name and second gender slurring together as he shifted and reached out.

Anakin smiled back, though he was quick to pull up the collar of his shirt to cover his nose. “Hey there…”

“Want you—miss you—need you.” the omega pleaded, still trying to reach for his alpha with a whine.

“I know you do. But you know I can’t help you yet.” Anakin set the tray down on the nightstand and grabbed Obi-Wan’s hand, intertwining their fingers. 

The omega clung to the alpha’s hands like his life depended on it as he leaned forward, pressing his nose to the tan fingers.

“Sounded like today was rough for you." Anakin said gently, trying to keep the collar of his shirt up, though it kept slipping more the harder he tried to keep it up.

“Stay…” he pleaded, lips brushing over Anakin’s dirty fingers from a day’s work.

Anakin crouched down, giving up and letting his shirt fall. He shivered. “You know I can’t…”

The needy omega whined, pulling Anakin’s hand close to his chest as if that would force the alpha to stay.

The alpha knew it was risky for him to stay in the room much longer, but he couldn’t help but lean forward and press a kiss to the omega’s lips. 

The omega responded without hesitation, pressing into the kiss with a need Anakin hadn’t seen before in his omega. Of course, he’d never spent time around Obi-Wan while he was deep in heat—at least long enough for him to know what a kiss would be like.

And it was intense. Like the omega no longer needed air to breathe as long as he had his alpha’s lips on his.

Anakin went rigid, something inside of him snapping awake for the first time. He had to get out of the room as fast as he could, but at the same time he couldn’t bring himself to pull away. It took literally all of his will power to stand up and step away from the bed, his heart racing in his chest. Anakin had felt what it was like when his alpha instincts took over before, but this was a new feeling, something that was far harder to ignore.

“I…I really can’t stay, Obi…”

“Alpha…” The omega whined out louder at the loss of  _ his _ alpha. Really it was a miracle that the needy thing didn’t try to abandon his nest in order to follow after the alpha he so craved. But maybe that was proof that somewhere under his instinct to mate was his rational and the knowledge that they had agreed not to share his heats together until they were properly married.

“One day, I promise, we will share this together." Anakin said gently, offering a smile to his omega. “One day soon.”

“Mmph…” Obi-Wan shifted in his nest, burying his face in one of the pillows.

“Rest, my love.” Turning on his heels, Anakin quickly left the room and closed the door, leaning heavily against it as he closed his eyes. He was going to have to wait to eat dinner with the kind Voss that had taken them in. He had… other matters to attend to first.

* * *

To be continued...


	13. Chapter 13

“Still think the Voss natives were mistaken?” Qui-Gon asked, looking out the viewport at the fleet of Sith ships surrounding a planet that was clearly burning in some areas, the smoke so thick it was blocking the view of the land like a plague killing everything it touches, and leaving behind only an inky darkness. “Force we could have been here sooner…”

Mace Windu looked on at the planet with Qui-Gon, a grim expression on his face. “We could have gotten here sooner, but we weren’t fully sure. But now we’re here and we can do as much as we can to help.”

“We could have been here to prevent so much—weeks of this literal sithshit.” Qui-Gon said, gesturing to the view, “Anakin trusted the Voss Natives in their plea for help, yet the council refused. You know I’m not one for visions, but we Jedi are supposed to help all who ask, even if they are from an undiscovered planet. I taught Anakin to follow the will of the Force, and it’s brought him to being this planet’s only hope for weeks, and one Jedi simply isn’t enough for all— _ this _ . And don’t say Ani was following his knot to an attractive omega, because he isn’t that kind of alpha.”

The other human rolled his eyes. “Let’s just get to the surface and figure out what we need to do. We can discuss the desires of your wayward former padawan later.”

“And how do we get there through all this mess? We’ll be spotted and shot down quickly.”

"I'll scan to see if there's an opening we can get to the surface through. If not, we can risk it and just push our way through."

Windu conducted a planetary wide scan, searching for spots in the blockade that would be big enough for them to slip by the Sith. Luckily he found a spot. "There's a break in the blockade over what seems to be vast farming land."

“Very well, I’ll leave landing to you and I’ll contact our other ships to have them follow us cautiously.” Qui-Gon said, “Once we land I’m going to try and contact Anakin.”

Windu nodded, guiding the ship over to the opening, where hopefully all the ships could get passed unnoticed by the Sith.

With all the luck of the Force, the Jedi seemed to slip into the planet’s atmosphere without incident and found a place to land. Qui-Gon wasted no time taking out his personal comm and putting in Anakin’s frequency, hoping his former padawan still had his with him, wherever he was.

It took a little time but Anakin picked up, his end of the call being glitchy due to damage caused in the shrine attack. “Master Qui-Gon, it’s so good to see you again.”

“Ani, I was starting to worry you wouldn’t pick up...We have managed to land on Voss without incident, what’s the situation?”

“All but one of the Mystics has been taken, and the Shrine of Healing has been destroyed. Obi-Wan and I are currently separated from everyone else who made it out alive.”

“Obi-Wan is the Mystic who came to Coruscant, right?”

“Yeah. We… well, that’s a whole other conversation for a better time. I’m assuming the Republic ships I just saw land belong to you guys?”

“You saw us land? Where are you?”

“We’re on a small farm just past the large hill. We had to find somewhere for Obi-Wan to go through his heat comfortably. Thankfully the farm was close.”

“The omega’s in heat? What a horrible time for all that. We should have seen about him seeing one of our healers about suppressors. They are a revitary new medication so I doubt that Voss has any such things. Nevertheless, you have your mask, right?”

“My mask was lost in the attack on the shrine. I’ve been staying away from the room he’s in as much as possible. The owners of the farm have put me to work fixing their equipment, so I’m outside most of the time.”

“As long as things stay appropriate. Mace told me you have expressed an interest in leaving the Order for a life with this omega, but all that will happen later.”

“Yeah, we plan on getting married in the future, but I will be leaving the Order before that hopefully.”

“All that doesn’t matter now. Right now we need to gather forces and get a plan together as to what to do about this Sith plague Voss seems to have going.”

“I can give you the coordinates of the farm, and we can talk more in person. Most com frequencies are getting taken over by the Sith, so we may not be safe to talk like this much longer.”

“Send the coordinates and I’ll take a few Jedi there to speak with you. If the Omega’s in heat, we don’t want to overwhelm him with too many people around suddenly.

“Of course. I’ll warn him that there will be other Jedi coming. I hope the unbonded alphas all have masks…”

Qui-gon gathered a few Jedi as the rest started surveying the area, and he took some of their speeders to the farm Anakin was staying at, arriving quicker than Anakin would have guessed. The older Jedi hopped out of the speeder and moved to hug his former student who now wore clothing of a local rather than a Jedi.

Anakin hugged his old master tight, feeling like he could let his outside image of being an alpha melt away for a little bit and simply be himself. “Force it’s good to see you again… it’s been hell here on Voss.”

“We could see the damage from space. I brought all betas so things don’t get smelling too much like alpha around here. Where’s a comfortable space to catch up on all the details?”

“We can meet in the barn. There’s some empty stalls that we can clear out and set up some tables or something. Or I can see if we can go inside the house. I don’t know if the owners will allow it, but it can’t hurt to ask.”

“We will wait here until you know.”

Anakin nodded, heading inside the farmhouse in search of the owner. He found her preparing a meal for Obi-Wan. “Hey, some of the good Outsiders I told you about are here. Is meeting in here okay or no? Most of them are betas, so Obi-Wan shouldn’t be affected by them.”

“You’re sure they’re good? They won’t attack like the others?”

“No, I know for sure these won’t.”

“Then it’s alright. I just want the attacking Outsiders off Voss. We are a peaceful people, here.”

“I know. I want them gone too. Thank you for letting the good Outsiders into your home.” Anakin bowed slightly and returned to Qui-Gon. “We can meet inside.”

Qui-Gon nodded and gestured for the other Jedi to follow Anakin inside.

Once inside, Qui-Gon bowed and thanked the farmer for hosting them for a short while before they sat down around the table in the kitchen.

“Alright, you said that all the Mystics are in the hands of the Sith except for the omega who came to ask for our help?”

“That’s right. None of them were killed but most of the protectors that were with them were. I was lucky to make it out alive with Obi-Wan.”

“Please go over the details of what you have witnessed in the Sith’s behaviour.” one of the betas said, pulling out a datapad and bringing up a document, “We pulled and compiled all the information the archives had on the Sith and how they do things. It’d be good to know if this information is still accurate or if we need to plan for something more unknown.”

“From what I saw, they move in packs and attack as packs as well. The top alpha usually makes themselves known, especially if they take a liking to an omega nearby. I saw it happen when Obi-Wan got cornered and was almost taken. Luckily I was nearby and was able to jump in before the Sith snatched him away.”

“Packs lead by a dominant alpha…” the beta nodded, making notes, “Still use bleeding lightsabers for the most part?”

Yeah, almost all that I saw were red. Some were purple, but mostly red.”

The beta nodded again, “I doubt their Force-sensitivity has changed, and it’s quite obvious they still are violent and have a lust for blood and pain…”

“Has there been any more of these Mystic Visions?” Qui-Gon asked.

Anakin shrugged. “Obi-Wan had one of later on in the war, but other than that, no visions that show us immediately what we’re supposed to do.”

“You you trust in these visions?”

“Yes. They’re fully accurate to what happens. He had one about me saving him from the Sith that cornered him and that’s exactly what happened, down to every detail.”

“Alright, then I think we should keep the next vision in mind what happens in it?”

“There’s a big battle near the destroyed capital of Voss, and towards the end of the vision we have some secret weapon that we pull out at the last minute. It seems that we may turn the tide of the war that way, but Obi-Wan’s vision ended abruptly before he was able to tell.”

“A secret weapon? Voss in origin?”

“Not sure. Obi-Wan might have another vision soon, but until he does, we have very little to go off of.”

“That is inconvenient.” one of the Jedi sighed, “It’d be nice to know more.”

“We might get lucky and have another vision for us to go off of soon.”

“Is it random, then?”

“Yes, we don’t know when the next vision might happen.”

“Unfortunate, but if it does happen, you’ll need to make sure we know so we can adjust our plans accordingly—that is what the Voss, do after all? Use visions to plan and prepare for threats?”

Anakin nodded. “We’re lucky we still have a Mystic on Voss. Otherwise we’d be in the dark and probably wouldn’t be prepared to plan for an attack.”

“Do you know if the other Mystics are still on Voss or if they have been moved to one of the ships hovering above?” Qui-Gon asked.

“We have no idea, but there’s a safe bet they’re not on the planet anymore.”

“We need to get them back if possible. We can’t let the Sith take off with their hostages. So we—uh…” Qui-Gon trailed off, his attention caught behind Anakin as a heat-stricken omega bundled in a blanket suddenly appeared in the doorway and shuffled over to plop right down into an unexpecting Anakin’s lap.

Anakin blinked, registering what had just happened. “Obi… What are you doing? You’re still in heat.”

“Too many identical faces…” he muttered, shoving his face in Anakin’s shoulder, “No Nodin-Va…”

“Faces? Are you feeling alright?” The alpha put a hand to Obi-Wan’s forehead, noting that it felt normal for an omega in heat. “Did… you have another vision?”

The omega gave a small nod, “Faces, alphas all in chains…in pain, all the same.” It was clear he had a harder time communicating his visions when he was in heat, which further proved the talent of the interpreters who worked with omega Mystics.

“Okay, just relax.” Anakin wrapped his arms around Obi-Wan and held him tight. “Did you just see these alphas in pain? Were they set free?”

The Mystic shrugged, “Locked up,had blasters but can’t use them as they wish…” he looked up at Anakin, “I—I think they were slaves? They fear their masters…”

“Slaves…” Anakin sighed. “Do you know where these alphas are?”

“Outsider Ship…” he muttered, hiding his face once again.

“Okay.” Anakin pressed a hand against the back of his omega’s head. “Your vision is over now, you should be getting some more rest.”

“Need to tell, no Nodin-Va, so...Found you, Alpha…”

Anakin stood up with Obi-Wan in his arms, looking down at Qui-Gon. “Sorry, I’ll be back…” He turned and took the omega back to his nest, trying to calm his alpha self while being so close to his omega in heat. Gently he sat Obi-Wan back in the nest, untangling arms and legs with a sigh.

“Can’t stay?” Obi-Wan mumbled, clearly a little more in control of his needs compared to the last time Anakin had entered the nesting room.

“I’m still talking with the other Jedi about what to do, but you coming in and saying you had a vision does help us.”

“Anakin...can I—more cold water? Before you…” the omega nodded over to the empty pitcher of water that was often refilled for the omega during his heat.

Anakin smiled. “Of course. Your next meal should be in soon as well. I’ll be right back.”

Leaving the room, the blond grabbed the pitcher and took it back to the kitchen, filling it up and putting ice in it. He tried to catch bits of conversation coming from the other Jedi, but honestly he wasn’t too focused on listening. He really just wanted to jump into the nest with his omega and cuddle until the end of the day, but Anakin had important things to do, and he reminded himself that he wasn’t married yet.

Anakin returned to the bedroom with fresh cold water for Obi-Wan, and he set it where it had been setting previously. “Here you go, more water for you.”

“Thank you, Alpha.” Obi-Wan said, reaching out to squeeze Anakin’s hand, but he wasn’t overly clingy about it, “Just a little more and my heat will end.” he whispered.

The alpha smiled and squeezed back. "I'm sorry I still can't help you, my love. I'd say we get married as soon as possible, have a small ceremony while the war rages on, but I know a traditional Voss wedding is emotional and very special."

“And induces another heat and rut…” Obi-Wan started to say, his cheeks flushing as his eyes lowered to Anakin’s crotch and his focus clearly started wavering in knowing what was hidden away there and how it’d make him feel so full.

His grip started to get clingy again, and he let out a moan.

Sighing, Anakin pulled away, though not before pulling out the rag he had been using to wipe his sweat of after working in the barn. It was clean, but he knew it smelled like himself, which was why he gave it to his omega. "Here, to hold you over until the end of your heat."

Obi-Wan’s gaze flickered to the rag and he took it questionaly, only to realize it smelled strongly of  _ his _ alpha and with wide eyes, he hugged it to himself with a little sound.

Anakin kissed the top of Obi-Wan's head. "Your heat will be over before you know it. Until then, rest as much as you can."

Obi-Wan nodded, curling around the rag and shoving his nose into it to hold himself off from clinging to the real thing.

The alpha’s gaze lingered a little longer before he left the room reluctantly. He returned to the table the Jedi were sitting at and sat down again with a sigh. “Sorry about that.”

“He seems to like you.” one of the betas observed.

“Well I would hope so. We’re basically engaged at this point.”

“Engaged? Does the council know?”

“My Padawan’s personal life and communications with the council about his intentions in his personal life is not what we are here to discuss.” Qui-Gon cut in, “We are here to chase the Sith off Voss for good and return all the captured Mystics safely to their people.”

“Right, and now we have another vision to go off of." Anakin said. “We need to start a search for a ship that contains several alphas being held hostage. I don’t know what the Sith want from them, but it’s clear they are being used for some plan. We need to figure out what that plan is and how we can stop it.”

“I don’t see how that is related to the Voss issue?” someone asked.

Those alphas can help us fight the Sith. The more people we have on our side, the better. We can make our own packs to fight with.”

“Do they even know how to fight? We can’t force them to fight a battle that is not theirs."

“They’re alphas. They will fight.”

“If the omega is right in thinking they are slaves, as a former slave yourself, can you really expect them to raise arms against those who hold power over them? They likely have chips.”

“If they were alone in this situation, they wouldn’t dare to fight, but with us leading them and helping them form up packs, they’ll be more than happy to fight those who held them captive. Most slaves dream of one day escaping and getting revenge on their masters, so these alphas will be lucky to have us with them to help bring the Sith to justice.” Anakin stated confidently

“Is it worth our time though?”

“Ten extra men fighting is still ten extra men fighting. When we engage, they could be fighting either way, and I, for one, would rather see them fight alongside us than against us. Taking down Sith is one thing, but taking down slaves that have no choice in the matter? That doesn’t sit right with me.”

“We should send one or two people up to see if they can possibly locate and speak with these men, see if they are willing to rebel against the Sith. Then we can make further plans to get them out.”

“Somehow Obi-Wan is with those alphas. I don’t know how he gets there, but I’m planning on being with him as much as possible, so we should plan on us two going once we locate the ship.” Anakin muttered

“You are sure he’s there? Such a thing is far too dangerous for an omega—particularly one being targeted.”

“Well… I don’t know. The visions that I know of him having have always had him in them, so I just assumed. I guess I shouldn’t.”

“You should clarify it with him, then.” Qui-Gon said, “I also do not like the idea of putting that omega in further danger by taking him right onto one of the ships of the very people who aim to capture him.”

Anakin nodded in agreement. “He’s still upset about being the only Mystic not taken. I can’t say I blame him.”

“They are his mentors and partners. They walk the same path as him in life, and now he’s all alone on that path. Not only is he missing them, but he also probably feels a lot of pressure as he’s the last one left and as Voss puts so much weight on the visions of their Mystics...they all will be looking to him for answers more than anyone. Right now I’m sure his mind is quite distracted, but once his heat ends that pressure will be placed directly back on his shoulders.”

“I’ll be here to help him. Just before his heat he got sick from stress and preheat. It wasn’t a fun time for him.” Anakin sighed and tapped his fingers on the table.

“He needs to be protected. Based on what we were told when he first came to the Council for help, and what we have learned upon arriving here, I feel it’s safe to assume that as long as the Sith do not have the last remaining Mystic, they will not leave. They will stay and search.”

“But we want them off Voss.” a beta said.

“Not at the cost of Voss losing their Mystics.” Qui-Gon argued. “For now we want them here so we can find and free the Mystics—as well as the alpha slaves if they are willing. Get them back on Voss and then drive the Sith away. I would say end their threat to the Galaxy here, but that’s unrealistic with the sheer amount their numbers seem to be when against ours. No, it’s best to chase them off and keep tabs on them until the Order is in a position where we can end the threat for good—or at least another couple thousand years.”

Anakin looked up at his former master. "If we chase them off Voss, we might be able to find the other Mystics and bring them back home. Perhaps the Mystics will know where the alphas are as well, unless the Sith don’t want alphas and omegas to be on the same ship.”

“The sith have been avoiding the Jedi for a long time. It is clear that if they know one thing, it is how to hide. We are not prepared currently to pursue. We need them to stay here a little longer. And I doubt that you, Anakin, would want to risk losing your omega and the other Mystics should they slip out of our grasp. Right now they do not know the Jedi Order is here. They only know they have a planet of civilians running in fear, and one last Mystic to locate and grab. We have an advantage to sneak around and get things done to prepare. But that only lasts as long as they do not find your omega. Right now his protection is key to saving Voss. it comes before anything else as far as I’m concerned.”

“I can agree with that." the blond said. “I want Obi-Wan protected as much as possible. If something happens to him, the Sith are going to pay heavily.”

“Control your emotions, Ani. I can feel you vibrating through the Force. For now you are still a Jedi, first off, and secondly, I’m sure a Mystic’s abilities is some sort of Force Sensitivity. You wouldn’t want him picking up on your negative emotions right now.”

"Sorry, I think my time being more of an alpha here on Voss has been rubbing off on me."

“Clearly, but it seems to suit you.” Qui-Gon said, eyeing Anakin’s Voss clothing.

Anakin shrugged with a smile. "It seems to be easy to fit in with proper clothing. I rather like the dark blue color."

“And an outfit of yours is never complete without oil and grease stains.” The Jedi laughed, “Anyway, we should report back to Mace with the information you have given to us. I’m leaving one of our speeders here for your use. You know where to find us.”

"Thanks." Anakin nodded as he stood up with the other Jedi, following them out of the house. 

“We’ll aso need to locate where the Voss natives have all been running to so that they know what our plans and intentions are. We’d search for them, but we aren’t sure how we would be received as we are obviously strangers and they are likely quite shaken by the recent events here.” Qui-Gon said before getting into one of the speeders, “So maybe that will be best for after the omega’s heat and he can be present to provide comfort to his people that we mean them no harm.”

"I'll pass on that information to him." Anakin said as he stepped back from the speeder.

"Good." Qui-Gon nodded before they took off again. 

* * *

Cera-Rai and Nodin-Va had been traveling carefully, staying off the main roads when they could so that they wouldn’t be spotted as they made their way back towards the Shrine where they hoped they would find Obi-Wan.

And Anakin, on Cera-Rai’s side. Nodin-va honestly couldn’t admit he cared if the Outsider was still doing all he could to rub his scent all over the young Mystic he so admired, or not. He wanted that all to stop, but at the same time, he couldn’t admit he wanted said Mystic to be left all alone and unprotected. It was...complicated.

Truely, he should have stayed with Obi-Wan. A Mystic needed their interpreter, after all.

They had been traveling in silence, lost in their own thoughts about the fate of the Mystic they both had a personal connection to when a fleet of ships had flown down in the distance and made their way to a landing point farther away where the land was open and the population was sparse with only a few farms sprinkled around, far from each other.

The two had watched the fleet before looking at each other, knowing they had a choice. Continue forward towards the Shrine they had been traveling to, or practically back-track and move a little to the side of the path they had already come to investigate what the Outsiders were up to, maybe even learn more about what had become of the Mystics that so many Protectors fought so hard in vain to protect.

With a knowing nod, they silently agreed to change course and make their way towards the fleet. After all, both paths lead to the same potential danger, and they had one blaster and one vibro blade between them for protection. They were prepared to do what they could for Voss. 

Protectors weren’t the only heroes Voss had, after all. An Interpreter and a farmer could also help Voss in its time of need.

Together, they traveled towards the resting fleet of Outsider ships, stopping to rest only when they needed to. It paid off when they arrived at the site, the first rays of dawn starting to shed upon the land giving them just enough darkness to keep out of sight, but just enough light to get a look at the movement of outsiders starting to gather in the dewy grass to start their day.

Cera-Rai narrowed her eyes as she watched a group of Outsiders start a campfire in a pit they must have made the night before, and start cooking a morning meal for themselves. Other Outsiders had come off the ships already munching on their breakfasts, which must have been prepared in the ships’ galleys.

“Somehow I imagined the Outsiders to be violent even in every-day activities such as this.” she admitted in a low whisper to her companion.

“Me too." Nodin-Va replied, narrowing his eyes as he watched the Outsiders. “It looks like they still have their weapons attached to their hips though.”

“Always ready to kill, I guess.” she stated, watching then a moment more in silence before speaking again, “If we can get close enough to hear them, maybe they’ll mention what they have done with the Mystics…”

“Let’s try to get closer then.” The voss crawled around the bushes and trees, hoping to get closer without being spotted. He settled against a tree with some bushes around it and peeked around.

Cera-Rai followed him as quietly as she could, stooping down in some of the bushes with a hand on the handle of the vibro blade she had been given.

They watched and waited as the Outsiders around the fire laughed and joked around about something they didn’t really understand, the smell of whatever they were cooking wefting over, making their hungry stomachs growl with want.

“We could kill them and take their food?" Nodin-Va said while trying to cover up the sounds his stomach was making.

“Yeah, like that wouldn’t gather the attention of the rest of the Outsiders.” she whispered back, though it was tempting. Still, as hungry as they were, it wasn’t a good idea to attract attention unless they were discovered.

No sooner had Cera-Rai thought that; one of the Outsiders had suddenly stood up and started walking towards them with a rather grouchy look on his dark face. In a panic that they had probably been heard by this human Outsider, Cera-Rai gripped her weapon more firmly and leapt out with a war cry, swinging the vibroblade at the now startled looking man.

Nodin-Va was about to attack as well, but as soon as he saw the Outsider’s face, he recognized it. He stood there, watching as Cera-Rai fought the Outsider, who Nodin-Va recognized as a Jedi.

“You’re insane, woman!” The man fighting Cera-Rai tried to stop the fight, knowing she didn’t look like a Sith and was probably just a frightened woman trying to protect her land. “I’m not the enemy here!”

“What have you done with my baby boy, Outsider?!” she cried out, swinging her weapon at him again, frustrated that he was far too good at dodging her attacks.

“What are you talking about? I don’t know your son!”

Nodin-Va cracked a smile, clearly enjoying seeing the Jedi struggle to contain an angry mother. But he knew he had to step in, so he sighed and approached. “Cera-Rai, he is friendly. I recognize him as one of the Outsiders that Mystic Obi-Wan and Outsider Skywalker spoke with.”

Cera-Rai froze in her most recent swing and glanced over at her companion, blinking at him, “Why didn’t you say so before?”

“Because I was enjoying watching him be beat up by you.”

The Jedi scoffed and stepped away from the woman as fast as he could. “Well I might have told you the location of Skywalker, but now I don’t think I will.”

The woman turned a mother bear glare on the Jedi as she raised her weapon again, “You may want to rethink that choice, Outsider.”

The Jedi stepped back again, holding his own weapon out in defence. “Force, woman, you are persistent. If you put down your weapon I’ll tell you.”

“I lost my husband years ago—my son is all I have left. You can’t blame me for that.” she said. Lowering her blade, but not sheathing it.

“I don’t know what your son has to do with Skywalker, but he’s on a farm nearby. We landed here so we could talk to him and wait for the omega he’s protecting to finish his heat.”

She finally put away her weapon and turned to Nodin-Va, feeling lighter, “They both escaped! The Outsiders didn’t get to them.”

“Thank the spirits." Nodin-Va said with a smile. “What direction is the farm?”

The Jedi pointed out away from the ships. “It’s over that hill and little past that.”

Cera-Rai nodded, “Let’s go. If my son’s in heat then his intended alpha is likely struggling in taking care of him while also not getting too tempted by his scent.”

“He better not be laying a hand on Mystic Obi-Wan." Nodin-Va said as he started walking in the direction of the farm.

“Hey, we have speeders, you can take one there instead of walking." the Jedi called out.

“You can spare one?” Cera-Rai asked in surprise. After all, speeders on Voss were rare and mostly kept for when they were really needed for quick travel between main locations like larger towns and the Shrine. Anakin using one to pick her up had been surprising, yet not, considering what was happening on Voss.

“Yes, we have several more. Please take one. We left one at the farm so there should be one already there.”

Nodin-Va looked at the speeder the Jedi had gestured to, then huffed. “If we must.”

She looked over at him, “You do not wish to go there quicker?”

“I do, I’m just not in a hurry to see Outsider Skywalker again.”

“Think more on it getting back to Obi-Wan’s side, then. After all, you are still his Interpreter and the person who has tended to him all these years when he goes into his heat.”

“He needs me in case he has another vision.” The Voss nodded and headed towards the speeder. “That alpha really annoys me, you know? I know Mystic Obi-Wan chose him, but he’s still annoying.”

Cera-Rai paused to thank the Jedi before following her companion, “He’s a good, respectful young alpha.” she said as she got into the speeder, “Maybe you just need to spend time getting to know him.”

“I have no interest in getting to know him." the Voss said as he maneuvered the speeder away and towards the farm. “He came into Mystic Obi-Wan’s life and…my Mystic hasn’t been the same since. Wanting to spend more time with the new alpha rather than his old friends. I just doesn’t make sense to me.”

“It’s natural for an omega who has freshly found their future husband or wife to spend more time with them during the courting phase. After the marriage, things start going back to a balanced normalcy. Trust me. I was the same way when I met Obi-Wan’s dear father.”

Nodin-Va sighed. “I just wish I had gotten more time with him before the alpha came along.”

“Your time with him is not over should you stay his friend and Interpreter.” she pointed out.

“I know. It’s hard for me to see him interested in someone else, that’s all.”

She sighed, “You knew this would come when you confessed to him and he explained he didn’t feel the same way. You’ve had time to prepare yourself for it.”

“Still doesn’t mean I’m ready for it to happen.”

“Get to know this alpha, maybe that will help you find the closure you need. You’ve been the one taking care of Obi for so long, that I feel maybe this isn’t so much the rejection you faced, but the worry that Obi-Wan won’t be in good hands when it is time for you to step aside in some areas of his life.”

Nodin-Va was silent, because he knew that was exactly how he felt. He just wanted Obi-Wan to be safe, now that he couldn’t be with the Mystic all the time like before. “I’ll try to like the Outsider." he eventually said as they went over the top of the hill.

“When we arrive, I’ll go check on Obi, make sure he has chilled water and anything else he may need, and maybe you can discuss some things with Anakin, maybe go over the care you hope he’d give to Obi-Wan while he’s in heat, and anything else you are worried about. Outsiders may have different ways of caring for an omega in heat, so I’d understand your hesitation there. So ask about what they do for Omegas—other than the...obvious, of course.”

The Voss’s jaw tightened. It was clear he didn’t like the idea of talking about Obi-Wan’s heats with Anakin. “I’ll try my best.”

“Just stay away from any mention of the future sexual side of things, and you’ll be fine. Just go over the basic care.”

“He needs to know how to properly interpret visions during heats, because those are the harder ones to work with. The Mystics struggle to express themselves well in heat. Just in case I can’t be there.”

Slowly a farm came into view after they were over the hill, the other speeder left by the Jedi parked by the barn, a figure kneeling beside it and looking like they were working on it. Nodin-Va knew the figure was Anakin, tinkering away on something, probably to get out of the house that smelled like an omega in heat. The Voss parked the speeder he and Cera-Rai were in closer to the house before getting out and looking over at the Jedi.

Anakin looked up from his work, wiping a hand over his forehead and trying to figure out who had come by before he recognized the two newcomers. He got up excitedly and jogged over. “You two survived! Thank the Force.”

“That’s my line.” Cera-Rai said with a slight smile, reaching out to touch the alpha’s shoulder, “We found the good Outsiders, and they told us you and Obi were here and that he was in heat.”

“Yeah, he’s on the back end of it, but he’s inside. I’ll take you to him.” Anakin went over and grabbed his tunic that he had been using as a rag and tied it around his nose and mouth before leading the two into the farm house. He made a beeline for the room Obi-Wan was in, then he gestured at the door. “He’s in here. I’d knock first, he might be sleeping still.”

“Thank you.” Cera-Rai nodded at Anakin before moving to the door and knocking, giving things a minute before opening the door an inch, “Obi, it’s me, are you awake?”

When she got a sleepy mumble in response, she slipped inside, leaving Nodin-Va and Anakin in the hallway.

Nodin-Va glanced over at Anakin with a tight look, “You did not touch him, correct?”

Anakin shook his head. “He did come out of the room at one point and sit on my lap after he had a vision, but I didn’t touch him other than then.”

“He had a vision? How long ago was that?”

"Only yesterday. It was about a bunch of alphas trapped on one of the Sith ships. They all have the same face apparently."

“What was his words exactly? Interpreting a vision he has during heat can be difficult, and soon after he tends to forget details, so I’ve missed the window to coax out proper details.”

"Identical faces, alphas in chains and in pain, they had blasters but couldn't use them how they wished. He repeated some things but they had different wording."

“Strange...did you question him for more information?”

"I asked him if he knew if the alpha were freed in the end and where they were located. He didn't know if they were freed but they're located on one of the sith ships surrounding the planet. I know it's vague, but I didn't ask anything else."

Nodin-Va sighed, rubbing between his eyes, “I wish we had found you sooner so I could be here when he had the vision. I’m not sure if your interpretation is good enough or not, but it’s what we have at this point. Was that his only vision since before the attack on the Shrine of Healing?”

"No, he had another about a big battle in Voss-Ka. It's was a pretty even battle, but in the end we brought out some sort of secret weapon. We don't know what the weapon is though."

“Did your fellow Outsiders bring any sort of weapon it could be?”

"As far as I know they just brought their lightsabers. I don't know if they brought a cannon or something similar."

“Hmm," He nodded, “I suppose we will have to see what kind of weapon falls into our hands that can help like in the vision. It was foreseen, so it will come.” Nodin-Va glanced at the door to Obi-Wan’s room and sighed, “Cera-Rai wishes that I...speak with you on a few matters. Will you allow me to do so, Outsider?”

Anakin shrugged. "Sure, if we can go outside. I try not to be around Obi-Wan's scent too much when he's in heat."

“...Good.” Nodin-Va nodded, turning to walk outside once more.

Anakin followed him outside, untying his tunic from around his face and putting it on properly. "So what do you wanna talk about?"

Nodin-Va grimace, “You and Obi-Wan. Particularly during his heats.”

"Oh… you didn't call him Mystic, so I guess this is serious."

“It is...personal. And difficult. I have taken care of him during his heats ever since his first heat as a Mystic—his second heat overall. Of course when he was underage, his mother was present during his heats as well to guide me and teach me. It has been my responsibility to ensure he was well taken care of and protected during his heats when he was at his most vulnerable. But once married, that duty will fall to you.” The tall Voss settled his gaze upon Anakin, “I can not accept that, not if I can not trust that you will do so properly. So tell me what it is Outsiders do to care for their omegas in heat.”

Anakin swallowed. "I make sure they have plenty of nesting supplies and water when they're in preheat, that way they're comfortable when they actually start. If I'm not bonded to them I leave them alone and let them do what they need to, and of course refilling their water when needed. In a situation like with Obi-Wan, I check up on them more often and if they need a new shirt or something that smells like me I'll get it to them. Basically the same stuff you've done with Obi-Wan."

“I have never given him my shirt, however...I suppose he does see you as his bonded, and would need that added comfort if you are not staying with him—which you shouldn’t be at this point. You make sure he has easy to eat foods for when he has a moment of clarity and can eat a bit?”

"Of course, I'm not going to starve him during his heat."

“Good. And...do you crack the window for him when the weather’s nice so he can get some fresh air? It helps him clear his mind a little better as it freshens the room a bit.”

"I haven't, but I will learn to do that now."

“Good—and his favorite foods to eat during heat are fruits if they are in season. Cutting them up into small cubes make it easy for him to eat. Just leave a damp rag for him to get the stickiness off his fingers afterwards. He eats more when it’s fruit than anything else, which is good as he won’t undereat nearly as much.”

Anakin nodded. "I'll also make sure he has a fresh pair of clothes to wear when his heat is finally over. Just so he has something nice and comfortable to wear when he's done cleaning himself up."

“Normally when his heat is ending I draw him up a nice bath with relaxing oils to soothe his aches. Of course I couldn’t do that for him on the ship, but at home in the Shrine. He is able to get up and move to the bath in the last hour or so of his heat and by the time the water starts to cool, he’s cleaned up and the heat is over. Make sure one of his fluffier towels is heated and waiting for him. His skin is still a bit sensitive at that point.”

"Got it, bath with oils and warm fluffy towel. Anything else? I mean there's things only an alpha can do, but in terms of general care."

“Not only an alpha can provide  _ that _ sort of care to an omega in heat. Plenty of omegas on Voss choose a beta, Gormak, Voss, or even another omega as their bonded.” Nodin-Va huffed, “It’s just more common that they will choose an alpha. Obi-Wan’s father, after all, was Voss. We do not have knots, but our size is well enough to imitate it for their needs.”

"That's… not what I meant at all. I meant more like the sounds alphas can make or giving the omega praise for toughing out a heat."

“Whomever they bond with can provide praise.” he huffed before looking away, “...But I know nothing of...sounds.”

"Alphas can do this sort of deep purring sound that soothes omegas. Some growls do the same because we have so many types of growls."

“That is not something that is taught to our young during their time of puberty when covering the differences between males, females, alphas, and omegas.”

"Alphas kinda figure out all the different sounds as they go along. Some are more soothing to some omegas while others hate the sounds. It's a lot of experimenting and finding out what the omega likes, but the crooning for sure always soothes an omega. We also have a different tone in our voice that we can use to control omegas or challenge other alphas. I personally don't like using that tone unless I have to."

“That sounds barbaric. I do hope that Voss alphas do not ever use such a tone if they know of it.”

"Some alphas take advantage of it, but I won't use it unless another alpha is challenging me or is threatening to hurt my omega."

“If you ever did decide to use it on Obi-Wan, we would have a major problem.” Nodin-Va huffed out, giving further initiative to make sure his alpha tone remained under control around Obi-Wan.

"Don't worry, I don't plan to." Anakin reassured.

Silence fell between them after that, stretching on before Nodin-Va spoke again, “What are your plans then? After the Outsider Threat is over and you marry Mystic Obi-Wan? Do you plan to become a Protector or Interpreter? Or find another role to assist in Voss society?”

"I'm not quite sure. I think I work best as a protector, but after doing some of this farming stuff, it's growing on me."

“I suggest choosing one where you can stay in the Shrine with Obi-Wan. Otherwise he won’t see you often enough and will miss you. Bonded omegas do not like being apart for long periods of time from their bonded. Farming requires being away at the farm more often than not. Cera-Rai did not work her family’s farm when she was married and bonded. She instead took on a job in the Shrine’s kitchen, and tending to the crop garden between meal-prep.”

"So I should probably stick with protector then."

He nodded, “Then we will have to work on an agreement where should he have a vision during his heat, I can quickly get the details from him.”

“Only seems fair to do that I suppose. We should get a pair of com links so we can quickly contact each other when he has a vision.”

“As long as it is a method that works. And if there is interference, please allow me to go get the details in person.”

Anakin nodded. “Of course. Right now, Obi-Wan’s visions are really important, and the quicker we can get interpretations, the better.”

“They are always important, and this discussion is for after you bond. Before then, I will continue to do what I always have done for him while I'm around.”

“Right. Don’t want to be in the way of you doing your job.”

“We may not like each other, particularly when Obi-Wan is in heat, but we both have important roles to play in his life and we need to—respect that. After you bond, respect what I have to do in order to get details of a heat-time vision should the communicator not work well, and I will properly leave you to care for him in every way you need without complaint. And maybe,  _ maybe _ after you bond I will stop seeing you as an Outsider and we have the possibility of being...friendly. But before you bond you are still an Outsider to me.”

“Totally understand. Hopefully he won’t have many visions during his heats, though.”

“Normally he doesn’t have many, but this has been two heats in a row he’s had a vision. The Outsider Threat has clearly been causing him to have visions more frequently during his heats.”

“Hopefully we can get the Sith off Voss soon. I’m sure all the other Mystics are in the same situation as Obi-Wan.”

“Worse. Surviving Protectors who escaped and met back up with the evacuation groups told us the horrors they faced, told us that the Mystics were taken from them. The other Mystics are alone without their Interpreters. Plus I’d imagine that the Outsiders are trying to force visions out of them as that is why they have targeted the Mystics. Mystic Obi-Wan at least still has his freedom and he still has me to unload his visions onto.”

Anakin sighed. “I only know what Obi-Wan is going through. From what you told me, I can imagine just how bad a situation the other Mystics really are in.”

“It’s my guess as I do not know for sure and only Obi-Wan could have a vision of what may be happening to his fellow Mystics, should one come to him. Honestly, I hope not. He would not take it well, I’m sure. It’d be very upsetting, especially if he is in his heat still and his emotions are compromised.”

The blond nodded. “The best we can do right now is make him comfortable.”

“And make him feel safe. I’ve seen him stressed during a heat once and it was not good.”

“From what I saw of him in his preheat this time, I can only imagine how stressed he could get.”

“It can get scary at times.” Nodin-Va agreed. “But this time he now has his mother who is the best at caring for him in his heat. She always has been. So we just have to worry about making sure the Outsiders who are after him do not come here for the next—how long does he have left?”

“Only a couple days. He’s almost done, but this heat still has been hard on him.”

“Good, I don’t like him to be vulnerable for too much longer.”

“He won’t be, thankfully. I’m sure he’s ready to be back to his normal self.”

“He always is. More than a few times he’s mentioned hating his heats and what they do to him.”

“I don’t blame him. I’d feel the same if I went through heats.”

“I’m sure we all would, based on what I know from taking care of Obi-Wan for so many years.” Nodin-Va agreed.

* * *

To be continued...


	14. Chapter 14

“I’m sorry, but visions during my heats are difficult.” Obi-Wan sighed from where he sat between his mother and Anakin, looking across the meeting tent at the Jedi who were high enough rank to be included in the strategy meeting. Behind him were Protectors and a few other Voss Natives willing to fight still and wanted to be present. “I do not remember much of what I saw. What I managed to communicate at the time with Anakin is the only interpretation we have for it. I know it’s not ideal, but it’s what we have to work with since my Interpreter was not with us at the time.”

He sighed and leaned against his lover, “Anakin, Nodin-Va, and I discussed my vision once my heat ended, and we all agreed that it is something someone should look into. It’s dangerous, and I do not remember anything more to reassure whoever goes that it will be worth the trouble, but—”

“You don’t need to sell us on it. I’ll volunteer to see what I can find up there.” Qui-Gon said, his arms folded in his sleeves. “What really needs to be discussed is what the rest of you plan to do down here.”

“We should go to Voss-Ka.” a Gormak grunted, hands on his hips, “Before I escaped the ruined Shrine of Healing, I saw things—I saw the other Mystics being forced onto a ship which then took off—I thought to the Stars but instead it moved towards Voss-Ka and landed. We need to rescue them before they take off to the Stars.”

“So that’s why we end up there.” Obi-Wan said, turning all the attention back on himself. He thought a moment before looking up at everyone, “Before my heat I had another vision of a battle in the ruins of Voss-Ka. We go there, probably to rescue the other Mystics, but it will not be a stealth mission, we will be discovered and a battle will break out. The vision had cut out so I do not know how it ends, but right before it did cut off, there was hope of some sort of weapon that could possibly turn things in our favor arriving.”

“Very well, we will go to Voss-Ka expecting that fight.” another Voss said, “Mystic Obi-Wan, you should stay here in hiding where you won’t be at risk from the Outsider threat.”

“I specifically saw myself in Voss-Ka.” Obi-Wan shook his head, “I’ll end up there no matter what we decide I  _ should  _ do. But if Voss believes I should try staying hidden, I will try, knowing that something will end up preventing it.”

“We can keep you hidden as long as possible for sure." Anakin joined in. “That should be our top priority while we scope out Voss-Ka and prepare for the worst.”

“Then I will stay behind.” Obi-Wan agreed, “And will leave Voss-Ka to everyone else.”

“I will stay behind with you." Nodin-Va said. “And with Outsider Skywalker. The more you have around to protect you, the better.”

“Anakin will be Voss soon enough, he needs to do what is best for Voss, and he is strong. He should help with Voss-Ka. The fight is there, not here.” Obi-Wan argued. “I will be safe here with the citizens who can’t join the fight, and I will heal those who need it as best as I can with what we have available here. Though I agree that you should stay, should I have another vision.”

“I also agree with that." Anakin said, turning to Nodin-Va. “You can be here for him when I cannot.”

The Voss looked at Anakin, then after a bit, nodded. “Do your best for Voss. And stay alive. I don’t want to have to tell Mystic Obi-Wan that you won’t be able to return to him.”

“Don’t worry, with the Force on my side, I’ll be well protected.”

“I will see him again at least once more, according to my vision. I will not worry about him until after that time passes.” Obi-Wan said simply.

“I’ll be perfectly fine.” Anakin smiled as he turned back to everyone else. “Let’s separate into groups so we have a better strategy when the battle comes.”

“I’ll leave you to that and go to see what I can do to start helping those who need my healing.” Obi-Wan said, standing up, resting his hand on Anakin’s shoulder a lingering moment before he left the tent with Nodin-Va and his mother.

Nodding, Anakin watched the omega leave before turning to those he would help divide into groups. They would need strike and defence teams, especially if they were expecting to fight the Sith. Every battle tactic he knew would need to be implemented if they were going to have the best chances of winning the battle and driving the Sith off world once more. It was going to be a hell of a battle, but war was hell, and if they were lucky, Voss was going to send the demons back where they belonged, isolated and alone out in the empty expanse of deep space.

“Well, shall we begin?” Mace said, taking control of the meeting.

* * *

Using a small stealth ship, Qui-Gon maneuvered his way up to the fleet of Sith ships hovering over Voss. He honestly had no idea which ship he should start with searching, so he simply let the Force guide him. Once one was chosen, he landed his small ship on the much larger one and put on a helmet and suit so he could sneak on board without attracting attention by landing inside.

He then slipped out into the cold vacuum of space and found a hatch that he assumed droids used when they needed to fix something outside the ship. He pried it open with the Force and slipped inside, sliding down a shaft until he landed in a room full of droids, all powered down to save energy. Removing his helmet, he opened the door and glanced around before slipping out to begin his search for the alleged alphas with the same face.

The ship was relatively quiet, the occasional echoed conversation between two people popping up here and there. There wasn't much special about the ship. It was a standard dreadnaught, a ship that could carry and house thousands of people at one single time. Most decks were barren, only a few droids milling about with their own tasks to get done. There was nothing to be suspicious about with so little activity happening. It was perfect for Qui-Gon to sneak around and look for the alpha's he was searching for.

On one of the lower decks, there was a significant increase in voices. They mostly sounded the same, so it was entirely possible it was just a bunch of recordings being played over each other. However, while Qui-Gon was getting closer to a larger room, the voices started to sound more individual and in continuous conversation.

The Jedi moved to a door and placed a hand on it, closing his eyes as he let the Force flow through him.

No warning. No darkness, just...pain and worry and suppressed emotion.

The door was locked, but it wasn’t hard to break into with use of the Force, and Qui-Gon soon had the door sliding open to admit him.

The multitude of voices suddenly silenced, all eyes moving to the man who had entered. At first their expressions were blank, as if they had been trained to do so, but when they realized that the person who entered was not a familiar face, they allowed themselves some emotion. Hundreds, if not thousands of identical faces all showed some form of surprise.

“Uh, hello there.” The Jedi said. He had not expected so many men with the exact same face. True, the Mystic his former padawan was so enamored with had said there were identical faces, but he was expecting maybe, triplets or a fair sized group of related men who were very similar. But in the very large room was so many men that it was sitting room only, not one would be able to lay down properly to rest, and all of them had identical faces. Save for some scars some of them had, there was no way to tell one from any of the others just by looking. Though in the Force each one bloomed with their own personality.

Regardless, his little stealth ship was  _ not _ going to be big enough. And this was just one room. The Force told him the other rooms lining the corridors on this floor all contained the same volume of individual lives.

And what of the other ships? Were there more on them as well?

He shook the thought to a corner of his mind. He first needed to address this group to see if they were willing to help Voss fight against the Sith who caged them up so tightly.

“I’m not Sith.” he stated in a calm voice, hoping they would hear him out. “I’m a Jedi, and I—did not expect there to be so many of you. Is everyone okay? Do you even get enough air to breathe in here?”

There was silence for a bit longer before one man stepped forward, a long scar running from his forehead down to his jaw. "Are you really not a Sith?"

Qui-Gon gave a kind smile and a nod, “You have my word on my honor. I’m Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn. Right now the Sith fleet is over a planet called Voss where the Sith are trying to take what the locals call Mystics. Mystics have the ability to have very accurate visions, and one of them had a vision of all of you, so I was sent to make contact.”

"You mean… are we getting set free?"

Qui-Gon gave a nod, “We wish to help you take back control of your lives, no strings attached. Though we would appreciate it if you are willing to help in the fight against the Sith. But we will respect your choice if you do not wish to fight.”

"We're more than willing to fight the Sith." another said, stepping forward. He had the number five tattooed on his temple.

Qui-Gon nodded, “I was told you likely would. Do you all have slave chips or anything to worry about?”

"We have implants, but if we try to take them out, the Sith will know."

“That does pose a problem...and how many of you are there?”

"Millions maybe?" the first man spoke up again.

“Millions? Are you all kept on the same ship?”

"We have no clue, but we know there are more of us outside of this room."

“It’d help to know exactly how many groups of you are in this fleet...and how to notify the others quickly and secretly. It’ll become a problem if the Sith find out.” he considered, rubbing his chin.

“We can contact our brothers to know how many of us there are. In this room there are at least 500”

“That will be helpful, uh, sorry, I haven’t asked your names, yet.”

“I’m Cody." the one with the scar said. 

“I’m Fives." the other said.

Qui-Gon nodded, “It’s nice to meet you, Fives and Cody—and the rest of you. Shall we sit and discuss plans on how to get you all out of here and down safely to Voss? My ship is only large enough to shuttle maybe ten of you at a time.”

* * *

Voss-Ka was eerily silent. There was an aura of death surrounding the fallen city, causing all who entered to be uneasy. Nothing about the city had been the same since it was attacked, it was very clear just how much the city had been damaged.

Anakin looked up at the destroyed buildings, a sort of sadness taking over. He had wished to see the great city in all its glory, but war was never the best time to go sightseeing. Sighing, the Jedi turned to look back at the Jedi and Voss he had been leading into the city. There were so many people he was in charge of, but that wasn’t his concern. He just didn’t want to have something happen to so many of them and lose them all. He figured that would probably result in the worst feeling in the galaxy. To have so many deaths be put on his shoulders would be devastating.

“Mystics help us…” one Voss native said, stepping forward, his eyes trained upwards at three bodies impaled on spikes that had been placed atop one building. Skin and clothing were charred from flames, and decay had set into what remained, but there was no doubt to the natives as to who they were.

“The Three…”

Anakin held back a gag as he looked up at what used to be the Three. “What happened here… it was worse than I originally thought.”

“They’re sending a message.” Mace said with a frown, “The Three… that’s what the Voss call their leaders, right? That’s why they are up there. To warn the citizens. To keep them scared and running rather than fighting back.

“We can’t leave them up there.” a Gormak said.

“I agree." Anakin said. “They deserve a proper burial like anyone else.”

“As much as they should be brought down, if we move them, the Sith will know we’re here. And that’s assuming it isn’t a trap.” Mace said, “We’re trying to keep a low profile as long as possible.”

“There’s only one way to find out if it’s a trap." the blond said.

“Skywalker, think of the safety of all the natives here risking themselves for their planet. Going up there will put more than just Jedi at risk.” Mace said.

“We can use the Force, we’ll be given a warning before anything happens." Anakin argued.

“The enemy will still know we are here. We should wait to take care of them until we are ready for what follows.”

“You try to protect us, but they are Voss just as we are Voss. They were our leaders, and the Mystics have already seen that this trip will not be a peaceful one. We are prepared to fight.” Rik-Ol said stepping forward, “It is Voss’ choice to wait or not when it comes to such matters, and we all feel it is wrongful disrespect to wait.”

Other natives nodded and muttered their agreement.

“Sounds like a decision was made." Anakin said as he stepped forward, poking into the Force to find any traps or surprises waiting for him if he moved any of the bodies. The first one he touched produced nothing, and neither did the second or third. He safely removed the bodies, holding his breath as long as he could so he wouldn’t gag at the horrendous smell, and he placed them next to each other, moving their limbs and closing their glassed over eyes so they looked more at peace in their eternal rest.

Rik-Ol knelt down next to The Three, muttering a little prayer in the Gormak tongue before apologizing for the time it took for their bodies to be brought down in respect.

Three holes were dug up for the Three, and they were placed in their graves as more prayers were said amongst the Voss. Anakin made quick grave markers for them so they would be remembered, buried under the shadow of the spikes they had been impaled on. For a moment, there was silence around them, not a sound that gave away the fact that a war raged on.

“See, Outsider, there was no danger in respecting our lost.” a Voss said to Mace as she passed by him. “Now we must find our Mystics.”

“Or at least a hint of where they might have gone.” Anakin sighed as he looked around, moving away from the graves. “If we’re lucky we can catch a random Sith on guard around the city and get some information out of them.”

Rik-Ol growled, “I’d like to get my hands on one. Make it pay for what has been done here.”

“We’d need one alive first, then you can smash them all you want after we get the info we need out of them." the blond said.

“Who says I was going to kill it?” the Gormak growled venomously.

“No one, I was saying that just…in case.”

“I’ll only make it wish it were dead.”

“Don’t give into the same darkness that they live in.” Mace said, “The Darkness can only cause more pain and suffering.”

“You haven’t lost anything to these Outsiders—Voss has.” the Gormak growled.

“Voss has lost so much." Anakin added. “It’s hard to not feel a bit like making the enemy feel the pain that Voss has felt.”

“You understand where your Outsider brothers do not.”

“I’ve been on Voss for far longer than the other Jedi have. I’ve gotten to know the people and how they feel. It almost feels like my fellow Jedi don’t care about Voss that much." Anakin said with a little bit of a cold tone, glancing at Mace.

“It’s not that we don’t care, it’s just that we are here to help Voss, and we can’t let our emotions get in the way of it. You know that, Skywalker.”

Anakin sighed. "I'm glad I'm leaving the Jedi after this is over."

“We’re not discussing  _ that _ now.” Mace said, “We need to return to our search.”

"I don't get why you're so upset about me leaving, other than I'm some chosen one that you dubbed when I was a kid."

“We are  _ not _ discussing the matter here or now.” Mace repeated, “We are on a search and rescue, not a casual stroll for talking about the future.”

“Alright, fine, but you need to get over yourself. I’m still leaving, no matter what happens.”

“Just remember that you are still a Jedi while this mission is active.” He said, moving forward, “We need to spread out; search for any sign of the Sith’s ship or any camp they may have set up here.”

“Right, you two groups search out that way," Anakin said, pointing out the groups then gesturing towards a direction. “These two groups go the other way. The rest follow me.”

Splitting up, the Voss and Jedi began searching for any Sith that might be lingering about. For the most part it was relatively quiet in the city, those in hiding staying hidden while they watched the groups of brave Voss move through the city. There wasn’t much communication between groups other than telling each other than certain sections of the city were clear of any Sith activity. If something big did happen, everyone would know about it.

While approaching the edge of the city, Anakin sighed. “Looks like there’s nothing here. Again.”

“There has to be.” Rik-Ol said, the Gormak having been in the group following Anakin, “Perhaps they are just smart about hiding.”

“Maybe. I’d offer to search every building, but I know people are hiding. I don’t want to barge in on someone.”

“That’s assuming anyone survived and did not run for refuge at the Shrine.”

“I can sense there are people hiding. They’re scared and won’t come out, and I don’t want to make them more scared than they already are.”

“Then can your outsider senses sense people hiding that are not scared?”

“I’m searching…” Anakin was quiet, closing his eyes at one point as he focused. The silence dragged on, and the longer it went on, the more clearly he was sensing people in the city. “I think I sense something…”

Suddenly his com unit went off, a desperate voice calling out for help. “We found some Outsiders hiding! They’re attacking, and we’re losing men fast! Please help—”

The audio cut off, sending off warning bells in Anakin’s head. “Let’s go save them." he announced as he started running towards where he sensed the attack happening.

“We’re not waiting.” The natives following Anakin said, one of them checking the coordinates of the group that had sent out the message for help. 

The Jedi in the group shook their heads, “Don’t go rushing in." one of them suggested, “That’s playing into the Sith’s hands. We should include stealth and see if we can take out some of them from afar with your blasters.”

“We must help our fellow Voss out first." one Voss said as she ran. “The more we have to fight with, the better.”

“I’m not sure that’s solid reasoning." another Jedi muttered, chasing after her anyways so he could be around to protect her.

“These natives are hard to work with.” yet another Jedi sighed before jumping up onto what remained of the roofs to get a vantage point from above.

As the group grew closer to the battle, Anakin came to realize more and more that this might be the start of the long battle in Obi-Wan's vision. He hoped not, but he wasn't going to be able to stop it from happening if it was. Tossing that thought to the back of his mind, the blond charged towards a sith that had been running towards him, cutting them down with a twirl of his lightsaber.

* * *

To be continued...


	15. Chapter 15

“It’s time.” Obi-Wan said, walking into the room Nodin-Va was helping to check the healing process of one of the injured. Obi-Wan had been busy the past few days, healing as many as he could as quickly as he could, but most needed to heal the slow, natural way as one mystic simply was not enough to help everyone. He saw to those who needed it the most, and the rest were seen after any Voss who had a basic understanding of first aid or better.

The Mystic looked worn out, but had a serious look upon his pale face. “I had another vision. A Sith Outsider is hunting me. He knows I am here, and if I do not leave, then everyone here will be at risk. If I leave now, he will follow, and everyone else spared such violence. For the time being. I…” he took a deep breath and looked up at his interpreter, “I do not wish to leave alone. I know I’ll make it to Voss-Ka unharmed, but I’m...frightened.

Nodin-Va turned to his Mystic. His expression was soft, worrisome. “I’ll go with you and protect you as best as I can. You have my word.”

The Mystic nodded, “Thank you. I’ve spoken with my mother already. She isn’t happy, but she’s agreed to stay to help out here. We just need to leave and try to get to where the hunting Outsider can’t get us alone.”

“Alright. Do you have things you need to pack before we leave?”

Obi-Wan shook his head, “Anakin packed a speeder for me before he left. It has some food, water, and the basic needs. I think he also included a blanket so we can be comfortable and take turns resting, though I have little idea how to actually drive, I’ll do my best when I must.”

“Then we can leave right away, then.” Nodin-Va brushed himself off before gesturing to the door. “Let’s be off then.”

Nodding, The Mystic turned to go, knowing it’d soon be a race not to get caught by the Sith Outsider. They would succeed in that, he knew, but foresight didn't mean it’d be easy.

The Voss put a reassuring hand on Obi-Wan’s shoulder. “It’ll be alright. Just focus on relaxing and let me take care of getting you out of here.”

Nodding, Obi-Wan got into the speeder the Jedi had left behind for his use, and took a deep breath. “Here we go.”

Nodin-Va started up the speeder with all their things packed into it and headed away from the camp that had been constructed by the Jedi and local Voss. It quickly fell out of view as the two ventured out into the wild, attempting to get away from the lurking threat that Obi-Wan had foreseen.

In the distance, a pair of angry yellow eyes watched the speeder move out across the land.

“So the omega thinks he can slip away peacefully, does he?” the Sith scoffed before stepping off the cliff where he’d been hiding and letting himself fall to where his own speeder was hidden among the rocks at the base. He used the Force to land gracefully. Then he mounted the speeder and took off, his dark robes billowing out behind him as he took chase of his prey.

It took a bit before Nodin-Va noticed they were being followed. He stayed calm about it, glancing over at the Mystic sitting beside him. “Don’t be too obvious, but we’re being followed.”

“I didn’t think it’d take the Outsider long to take chase.” Obi-Wan nodded, pulling the blanket around himself more, “Though I had hoped to nap before having to worry about him.”

“Looks like the nap will have to wait.” The Voss glanced in the rearview mirror briefly, seeing that the Outsider was getting closer. “What does your vision show we do?”

“Nothing, it was one of the very short and vague ones. I knew he was hunting me and knew where I was, that was it. But my Voss-Ka vision did show that I was there, so I do know that whatever happens, we will make it to Voss-Ka.”

“So we should head to Voss-Ka then.” One more glance, and the Outsider was almost right on their tail. “Hold on, we’re going for a ride.”

Slamming his foot to the floor, Nodin-Va urged the speeder forward, pulling away from the threatening Outsider as quickly as possible. If it was a chase the Outsider wanted, it was a chase they were going to get.

“Hmm, I wonder if…” Obi-Wan muttered to himself, opening the bag of supplies Anakin had packed them. With a satisfied noise, he pulled out a blaster, “He did.”

Grinning, Obi-Wan turned around in his seat and aimed the blaster at the pursuing Sith, pulling the trigger and sending a series of glowing yellow blaster bolts at the Outsider. He did make his best attempts at aiming, but the Sith was able to dodge his attacks.

Nodin-Va jumped at the blaster shots. “When did you get a blaster?! And how did you get it?!” The Voss made an exasperated noise as he made the speeder go faster.

“Found it.” Obi-Wan shrugged, “Just keep driving, I’ll see if I can get this Outsider off our ass.” He shot a few more times, “It’d help if he’d stop dodging…”

“Spirits, war really brings out things in people.” The Voss did his best to keep the speeder steady at such fast speeds. It was much faster than the old ones they had managed to keep working for centuries, and what little knowledge Nodin-Va had on driving speeders was limited to what he knew of the old speeder. The newer, faster one was a bit much all at once.

“Yes, well, I don’t really have time to watch what I say while trying to shoot an Outsider who won’t hesitate to kill you and take me with the rest of the Mystics to the Stars.” Obi-Wan pointed out, “I’d say I get a pass on letting slip an uncivilized word or two. _ —crap _ !” 

He pulled the trigger a couple times, the blaster proving to be jammed, and heating up in his hand, the barrel starting to expand. “ _ CRAP! _ ” he repeated, throwing the blaster back at the Sith not a moment too soon as it exploded close to the target, causing him to back off them while recovering.

“Uh, no more weapon. That was quite uncivilized, really...though I wish we had a second.” Looking around, Obi-Wan blinked at the blanket that was now under his knees before he looked back up at the Sith approaching yet again, much faster this time. Shrugging, he grabbed it and held it up, letting it whip back in the wind before he let it go and watched it flutter back and cover the Sith’s face, forcing him to veer off course as he fought with the blanket. 

“Well, that got us a little time, but not much.”

“Just be careful." Nodin-Va shouted over the noise. “I don’t need you falling out of the speeder when we’re going this fast.”

“You’re right, that would be bad.” Obi-Wan agreed, but didn’t turn around to sit down properly, instead keeping an eye on the horned Outsider who was snarling angrily behind them.

“I think I see a sharp turn ahead I can make." the Voss said. “It’ll be rough, but we might be able to buy more time.”

“Right, I think i’ll sit down now, then.” Obi-Wan said, ducking down so the turn wouldn’t fling him out of the speeder and leave him unprotected for the Outsider to grab.

When Obi-Wan was in a more secure position, Nodin-Va turned the controls of the speeder sharply one way, the speeder jerking to the side and nearly spinning out of control. The Voss grunted as he struggled to keep their vehicle in control, and thankfully he didn’t overturn them through the turn.

“Damn, that was fast." Nodin-Va said as he glanced behind them once more as he sped up again.

“I’m...glad you warned me. I was barely able to stop myself from being thrown into your lap while sitting.” Obi-Wan said, looking back behind them. “He’s still back there, though.”

“I know, he’s fast.” The Voss growled lightly while kicking the speeder into its highest gear. “This isn’t going fast enough. We need to get him to crash or something in order for him to stop following us.”

“I did all I can think of. Shot at him, threw the blaster at him when it locked up and started to explode...I even gave him the blanket in hopes he’d crash, but he didn’t.”

"Maybe we can lose him through the trees. I've practiced driving enough to not crash us into a tree."

“Whatever you think you can do. I trust you.”

"Okay, hang on tight again." Nodin-Va jerked the controls to the side, plunging them into the trees while their pursuer behind them blasted past where they had turned. It didn't take him long to get back on their tail, but he was having a harder time keeping up, especially when trees seemed to keep popping up out of nowhere. 

“Okay, this seems to be working for now.” Obi-Wan observed, “I just hope this thing has enough power to keep going like this all the way to Voss-Ka. It’s one of the new ones, so I’m unsure how long it can last before it needs time to recharge.”

“If I had to assume, this one lasts longer than our old ones we have.”

“I sure hope so. We certainly don’t have time to wait for a recharge.”

Nodin-Va nodded in agreement, grunting as one turn around a tree was more sharp than others. “I’m surprised this is working as well as it is. I have a feeling he’s going to pop out of the trees right beside us and make us crash.”

“Spirits, I hope not!” Obi-Wan sighed, “We’re going far too fast, there’s no way we won’t be seriously hurt.”

"That's why I'm hoping the trees will make him think twice about following." the Voss replied, focused on the trees around them as he moved around them.

“How close to Voss-Ka will this wooded area take us?” Obi-Wan asked, always having taken the main road to Voss-Ka on the few times he’d gone.

“It should take us fairly close, but we’ll be out in the open for a bit before we get to the city limits.”

“And along the steep path up the cliffs. Spirits, I hope he doesn’t catch us there. It’d be the worst spot to get caught up to. Not much room to maneuver.”

"I know, but that's our best option for getting to Voss-Ka as safely as possible."

“Too bad we can’t just fly there, but our flying speeders haven't worked in generations.” Obi-Wan sighed, looking up at the leafy canopy above them.

"Maybe Anakin can fix them up when things calm down again."

“You know, I think he would be able to.” Obi-Wan said before glancing over at Nodin-Va, “You don’t seem as upset anymore about him sticking around.”

"I'm trying to make myself accept that he's going to be around from now on. It's a slow process but…" The voss sighed. "I'm trying."

“I appreciate it.” Obi-Wan smiled, “He makes me feel...special. At least in a way nothing else has.”

"Yes… I shouldn't feel jealous, I know. Your chose him, and I should respect that."

“Maybe if things had been different...but there was one vision I never shared with you or any other Interpreter.” Obi-Wan confessed, “One where I saw Anakin, and I felt a little bit of what we’d end up with together once I found him. I decided to wait for him rather than explore other options I knew wouldn’t last. And when you confessed...I didn’t want to hurt you like that.”

"You knew about him? For how long?"

“Technically before I was a Mystic, but I had the same vision a few times after I passed the Mystic Trials as well. Usually I had the vision as my heats were ending.”

"Oh." Nodin-Va was silent for a moment. "So you knew him even before you knew me."

“In a way, yes.” he nodded, “I know I probably should have told you, but...it just felt so private at the time. Intimate. Like it was a vision for only me.”

The Voss nodded. "I understand. My job is to interpret the visions you share with me, not the ones you choose to keep to yourself. It sounds like you already had your own interpretation anyways."

“I did, though my interpretation that I’d be romantically involved with the alpha in my vision is something I discovered later when I was a little older and had the vision again. When I was a child, I didn’t pick up on those sorts of details.”

"Of course. But having that vision over and over, especially during your heats, must have been frustrating at least."

Obi-Wan hummed in agreement. It had been frustrating, especially when he felt his body react to the vision the way it did, even at the end of his heat when things were supposed to be calmer and he was supposed to be more in control. The vision just left him wanting the handsome alpha he knew he’d end up bonded to. But he wasn’t going to share that much with Nodin-Va. Instead, he turned in his seat to look behind them, a frown tugging his lips, “I uh...I don’t see the Outsider behind us anymore…”

"Really?" Nodin-Va glanced behind them as he slowed down the speeder. "I'm hoping that's a good sign, but we shouldn't let our guard down."

“It may be a trick to get us to slow down—or we lost him. I have a feeling that we didn’t get so lucky.”

"Me too… I'm going to move back towards the main road. If he catches us there, then I'll go back to the trees or something."

“Alright.” Obi-Wan nodded.

Cautiously, Nodin-Va moved out of the trees and back onto the main road leading to Voss-Ka. He didn’t say anything, afraid he might miss a sound that would clue him in on their pursuer ambushing them. He kept the speeder going at a brisk pace, not willing to risk slowing down any further.

Suddenly the Outsider reappeared in front of them, charging straight for them and risking a head-on collision with a wild look glowing in his chilling yellow eyes.

“OH KARK!” The voss swerved the speeder hard to the side to avoid the Outsider, the vehicle spinning out of control as he struggled to keep it straight. They hit some trees, thrashing them around hard and fast, but somehow as it came to a stop the speeder was still running. Nodin-Va took a moment to recover, groaning and shaking his head while glancing around.

Obi-Wan sat slumped in his seat, blood trickling down his temple from somewhere under his hair where his head had hit something. He seemed dazed and moved a shaky hand up to touch his head, blood getting on his fingers from the contact.

The Sith circled around, speeding towards them again, aiming to come up on the passenger side of their speeder and readying one hand to make a grab for his dazed target.

Thinking quickly, Nodin-Va pulled out the blaster he had strapped on his thigh, aiming at the Outsider and shooting, still trying to recover from crashing into the trees. “Stay away!" he shouted.

The Sith dodged easily, his fingers twisting as he took hold of the Force and yanked the blaster from the Voss’ hands, sending it flying into the trees, then he resumed his path to grab Obi-Wan.

Desperately taking off the harness he wore, the Voss clambered out of his seat and crawled over to the side of the speeder Obi-Wan was on. He pushed the Mystic lower as gently as he could, taking a defensive stance over him while the Outsider continued to get closer. When he was close enough, Nodin-Va struck out with his leg, kicking the side of the speeder belonging to the Outsider, pushing it away just enough so it wouldn’t hit the Republic’s speeder as it flew past.

“I said stay away!”

“I’ll enjoy taking off that leg before I kill you.” the horned Sith snarled, barring his yellowed, rotted teeth at the Voss.

“Try me." Nodin-Va said, baring his own teeth and pulling out his dagger.

“Oh, how primitive. This planet is disgustingly behind the times.” The Sith growled, igniting his saberstaff and twirling it around as he dismounted his speeder, walking towards the two Voss natives. “Give me the omega and I’ll end you quickly. Or don’t and I’ll have fun drawing out your death in the most painful ways you can imagine.”

“You won’t lay a hand on him.” Nodin-Va jumped out of the speeder and twirled his dagger in his hand. “He won’t be joining the rest of the Mystics.”

“Hmm, you may be right on one thing.” The sith tilted his head with a cruel smirk, “I may just keep this one for myself. My last omega proved to be quite fragile. This one seems to have a fire that’ll keep him alive longer.” he taunted, swaying his hips.

“He’s bonded to someone already! You don’t have the right to take him as your omega.” 

“Doesn’t smell bonded. In fact, he smells ripe for me to sink my teeth into.” he smirked and took a few steps closer, “Come now, don’t you want to protect him? Come face me or stand down. Make a choice so I know how much more time I have to waste here.”

“I’ll waste as much of your time as I can.” Nodin-Va lunged forward, staying clear of the angry red lightsaber.

“Are you his so-called ‘bonded’? Your kind don’t even have secondary genders, the bond is nothing more than a farce!” Maul danced around the attack, his saberstaff spinning lazilly and cutting a shallow slice into the flesh of Nodin-Va’s arm.

The Voss cried out in pain, though he didn’t back down from attacking. “It doesn’t matter if I’m the one bonded to him, I’m charged with protecting him.”

“And you have failed.” he Sith said, twirling his weapon again with more purpose. It cut clean through Nodin-Va’s leg a few inches down from his hip. “And you’ll die knowing you’ve failed the omega whore you were charged with protecting.”

“No!” Nodin-Va went down to the ground, face crumpling in pain. “You can’t take him!”

“Clearly you’re not going to stop me.” The Sith said, drawing his weapon back for his final blow.

“Nodin-Va!”

While the two had fought, Obi-Wan had recovered enough to move. He still wasn’t able to think completely straight or walk straight, but he’d managed to climb out of the crashed speeder and move around the two undetected to the Sith’s speeder. He didn’t know how to drive, and even if he did, he was in no condition, but he also was not going to let the Sith Outsider take his oldest friend away from him. He hopped onto the speeder and turned it towards the fight. Then he punched forward, the speeder making a noise in protest, and it’s speed shaky and unsteady, but he managed to get by Nodin-Va and grabbed his arm as he sped on by, dragging the Voss along with him away from the Sith.

Nodin-Va grunted and groaned in pain, hand grabbing at his hip as he couldn’t grab his leg. “K-kark… You shouldn’t be driving right now.”

“I know, but it’s all I could think of. Sorry for dragging you, but…” Obi-Wan grunted, doing his best not to drop Nodin-Va, “Can you pull yourself up?”

The Voss did his best to crawl more on the speeder bike. “Just keep your balance steady and you won’t tip us over.”

“I’m trying...to not freak out too much.” Obi-Wan said, “Y-Your leg…”

“Don’t look at it, keep your eyes on the road.” Taking his tunic off, Nodin-Va wrapped his leg up, or what was left of it.

“Sorry...I...do you think you can take over driving soon? I have no idea what I’m doing.”

"Please, I don't want us to crash again before we get to Voss-Ka."

“Just tell me when you’re ready and we’ll adjust. Should we stop to move me behind you or can you reach around me just fine?”

"Stay where you are, I'll reach around you." The Voss situated himself so he could easily reach around the redhead and take control of the speeder.

Obi-Wan nodded and withdrew his hands once Nodin-Va had control. He then looked down at the stump the man now had, “I—as soon as we’re able to, I’ll see what I can do to help heal...at least the pain levels…”

"It's fine, we just need to get to Voss-Ka as quickly as possible…"

“Healing is what I do when I’m not having visions, and you were injured protecting me…”

"Your safety is more important than mine right now. Me getting my leg cut off was nowhere near as important as getting you away from that outsider was."

“Still, I hope to get the chance to help you...and that my headache goes away...it’s pretty bad.”

"You are bleeding from some wound on your head. I wouldn't be surprised if you got a concussion."

“That would make sense—I can’t heal myself though...takes too much energy.” he shivered, “Explains why I feel cold, too…”

"Cold? You're not going to pass out on me, are you?"

“I hope not. But...sleep does sound good...maybe it’ll stop the ringing sound from making my headache worse.”

"Absolutely do not fall asleep on me, Obi-Wan. You hear me?"

“Barely, over the speeder and the ringing.” he mumbled.

"Stay awake…" Nodin-Va sped up, hoping they would reach Voss-Ka soon so a medic could look at Obi-Wan.

“Can I rest my eyes?” he mumbled, his voice barely heard over the hum of the speeder as the cliffs Voss-Ka was situated atop came into view.

"No, come on." Nodin-Va smacked Obi-Wan's cheek a couple times to get him to wake up more. "You need to be awake until we find proper medical attention for you."

“I am the medic...technically…” he muttered, fighting to keep his eyes open now that adrenalin had passed. “Good thing I’m not still the one driving this thing…”

"I'm serious, if you don't stay awake, I'm not letting you see Anakin again."

“He’ll be a grumpy alpha.” Obi-Wan said.

“He’ll be upset if you fall asleep before you get to see him again. You don’t want him to be upset, do you?”

“No, don’t upset my alpha. He’s too pretty to be upset…”

"Then don't fall asleep and you won't upset him. You want to keep him happy."

“I’m dizzy.” he muttered.

"I know, but keep your eyes open as long as you can. We're almost to Voss-Ka."

“Sorry, I’m difficult...I’m trying...it’s...hard.”

"If you absolutely need to pass you, go ahead, but try your hardest not to." Nodin-Va maneuvered the speeder into the city, hoping there was an intact medic station somewhere with a medic ready to help or at least some supplies he could use.

“Talking helps..I just...hard to concentrate. So…” he mumbled 

The Voss spotted a medical station still standing, and he promptly pulled over next to it, shutting down the speeder quickly. "I've got a Mystic with a concussion that's about to pass out." he said to the medic who had poked her head out of the smaller building while helping Obi-Wan off the speeder.

“I’ve got a—an Interpreter with a missing leg…” Obi-Wan said with a slight slur, “Probably also scratches...I dragged him…”

“You should not have come here—The Outsiders, they are dangerous and still lurking about Voss-Ka. We stay only because we have some unable to travel. We try to stay hidden.” The healer who rushed out to meet them said, taking Obi-Wan and supporting him. A few others rushed out cautiously, helping Nodin-Va off the Speeder and inside where they were safer, one remaining behind to push the speeder into a nearby hut where it wouldn’t be spotted and give their position away.

"We just escaped from an Outsider." Nodin-Va said as he was helped over to a table to sit on. "I think we managed to lose him, but he might know we were heading into Voss-Ka."

“Why would you even come here? The city's in ruins, surely the Shrine of Healing would be safer.” the healer helping Obi-Wan said as he got the Mystic to sit down.

Nodin-Va sighed. “The shrine is…gone… The Outsiders attacked us and… they took all of the Mystics but Obi-Wan.”

"The shrine fell? Even with all the protectors stationed there?"

The Voss nodded. “So many protectors died trying to defend the Mystics. Obi-Wan being the only one to not get captured was with another Outsider, but a good one. Not one of the ones that attacked the shrine.”

A group of Outsiders passed by here with some Voss, we assumed they were prisoners and not long afterwards a battle broke out in the center of Voss-Ka."

“I wonder if that was our Voss forces with the good Outsiders.”

"That may be. We were too scared to approach them. We’re only a few healers and a handful of very injured or sick. We can’t risk the chance that Outsiders might be friendly. How’s your leg?” The healer asked with another healer who was more trained for head wounds took over Obi-Wan’s care, leaving her to move to Nodin-Va and begin to unwrap the stump to take a look at what she had to work with.

“Hurts like hell, but not at the same time. I guess this is what it feels like to get a wound from a laser sword.”

“It’s cauterised, so there’s no major blood loss, good…” she hummed, looking carefully and only touching with gloved hands when she had to. “I can give you something for the pain, and I’ll have some cleaning to do to ensure it heals properly so that you can get a prosthetic later on. We have run out of everything we normally would have to put you to sleep during the process, however. It won’t be pleasant, even with the pain killers in your system.”

“I don’t care. Do what you need to, I can handle it.”

She nodded, “You’ll also have to be staying here to heal and rest after I’m done. I’m afraid there’s no walking away from an injury like this so soon.” she winked and moved to a cabinet to gather the tools she needed.

The Voss rolled his eyes at the pun, but he did manage to smile. “I’m more worried about Obi-Wan than myself.”

“Mystic Obi-Wan will be fine once I’ve finished cleaning his wound and he gets plenty of supervised rest.” The other healer said, already working on cleaning the wound, carefully lifting the redhead’s hair out of the way as needed. “Maybe something for his pain as well.”

“I kept telling him his alpha would be upset if he fell asleep on me. I hope that helped that I kept him awake as long as possible.”

“Yes, it’s good to keep him awake before knowing his exact condition and not being able to properly monitor him like on that speeder.” the second healer confirmed before looking at Obi-Wan, “It’s okay, you can close your eyes and rest soon. Just let me wrap your head first.”

“I don’t suppose his alpha is following behind you shortly?” the first healer asked.

"I don't know where his alpha is, I haven't tried contacting him yet." Nodin-Va looked over at the Mystic as he laid down and closed his eyes.

“Unfortunate. Alphas are very efficient at keeping their omegas calm when they need to. And calm, quiet rest is what Mystic Obi-Wan needs right now. Especially if a vision comes to him, that’d be a lot of stress on his mind right now and could cause issues.”

"I'm his interpreter though. I'm supposed to be around when he gets visions." Sighing Nodin-Va pulled out his com unit. "But I will see if he can get here soon."

“For his sake, let's hope he doesn’t need you to do your job until he’s healed.”

Nodin-Va nodded as he called Anakin. Thankfully he didn't have to wait long for the Jedi to answer, though he was looking rather beat up. "Hey, I need you to come to the medical outpost on the north end of the city."

"Is there trouble?" Anakin's voice came through, sounding tired.

"Obi-Wan got a concussion and the doctors are saying you need to be here for him."

"Okay, I'll try to get there as soon as possible, but this place has been crazy. We've lost a lot of troops already."

"Just get here."

“The alpha of Mystic Obi-Wan seems to be in bad shape himself.” the healer observed after the call ended.

"He's probably better off that Obi-Wan or I right now. Hopefully he gets here soon though."

“Yes, but now I’m taking you into the operating room where I can work on your leg without worrying any cries of pain you may let out will disturb Mystic Obi-Wan’s rest. Please leave him to my partner’s care for now.”

Nodin-Va nodded. "I hope I won't be too loud. I hate seeing him distressed…"

“That’s why we’re moving.” she said, helping him into the operating room, an assistant and medical trainee followed behind with the trey of tools she had already gathered.

Obi-Wan remained slumped in his seat as the second medic finished wrapping his head and moved to prepare a comfortable spot for him to lay down and rest. Reaching up a hand, he touched his temple and let out a breath, closing his eyes in a very slow blink that lasted almost too long to be considered a blink.

It was a while before the sounds of another speeder came up to the medical station. It looked like one of the speeders that the Sith we're using, but straddling the speeder wasn't a sith, but rather Anakin. He pushed the speeder into a nearby bush, noting another speeder that had been pushed into hiding. He hurried into the station, looking worried and weary.

A medic looked up when he entered, “Are you the Mystic’s alpha?”

"Obi-Wan's, yeah. I got here as fast as I could." Anakin looked around, observing the lack of most medical supplies due to the attacks.

“Good. Mystic Obi-Wan suffered a head injury in a speeder crash, according to Interpreter Nodin-Va. They were being pursued by an attacking Outsider when it happened. I’ve treated the injury and have him resting, but it’d help if you could hold him and do the alpha calming thing you alphas can do for omegas. I’ll be in often to check on him, of course, but other than that, he just needs quiet and rest.” the healer eyed the alpha in front of him, “Are you in need of any treatment?”

"It's just a few scratches, I'll be fine." he replied.

“Here," he got a clean cloth and soaked it in a solution, “use this to clean your scratches up so they wont get infected. It’ll sting a bit, but it’s worth it to avoid a bigger issue later. Then go curl up with Mystic Obi-Wan. He’s behind that curtain.” he gestured over to an area that had a privacy curtain pulled around it. Really, there were quite a few areas sectioned off like that, so it was good to know which one Obi-Wan was behind.

"Thank you." the alpha said, taking the cloth and moving over to the curtain Obi-Wan was behind. He grimaced a little as the solution on the cloth stung, but his minor pain was quickly forgotten when the saw Obi-Wan laying down with his eyes closed. 

"Force, you're really banged up." he said as he slipped onto the cot Obi-Wan was on.

Obi-Wan gave a little moan as he was carefully shifted, and his eyes cracked open slightly to investigate the disturbance. “Anakin?” he blinked slowly before shifting himself to lay against Anakin’s chest, his eyes closing again.

"Hey, I'm here now. You can rest easy." Anakin sighed and nuzzled his omega, starting to croon softly.

“M’head hurts…” the omega myttered, words muffled into Anakin’s tunic.

"I know, just don't worry too much about it. You'll only make it hurt more."

“ ‘m more worried about Nodin-Va...Outsider took off his leg…” he muttered, shifting so that Anakin’s arms were wrapped around him, making him feel safe.

"That must be why I heard some groans that sounded like him. They must be preparing his leg to receive a prosthetic. It's a painful process."

“You would know more than I.” Obi-Wan muttered, his hand finding Anakin’s mech one.

Anakin managed a small smile. “It’s not something I’d wish on anyone, to be honest. I hope you never have to go through that pain.”

“I don’t plan on it. I just plan to go back to sleep and hopefully wake up without an ache in my head or a ringing in my ears…”

“You can sleep as much as you need to. I’ll be here the whole time.” Anakin nuzzled Obi-Wan again, holding him close and moving a hand up to caress the omega’s neck gently.

“Good...sorry for taking you away from your search, but...I’m happy you’re here with me. I love you.” Obi-Wan hummed, his eyes closed and body fully relaxed. He was asleep again only a second after he spoke.

Anakin pressed a gentle kiss to Obi-Wan’s temple before he closed his own eyes, allowing himself some rest as well. “I love you too." he whispered back as he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

To be continued...


	16. Chapter 16

Obi-Wan awoke to the sounds of battle. Explosions, blaster fire, clashing of lightsabers. It was loud, and it was  _ close _ . Too close.

He sat up and looked at his sleeping alpha before he stood up, taking a moment to make sure he was steady before he moved past the curtain and to a window, looking out. The sun was just coming up, shedding light over the ruined city outside. Sith, Jedi, and Voss locked in battle.

He started backing up, intending to go wake Anakin, when a Sith took hold of the Force and threw a Jedi, causing him to crash through the window Obi-Wan had just been looking out.

Transparasteel shattered everywhere, the thrown Jedi screaming as he slammed into the floor and tried to cover his face. His golden eyes were wide with fear, though he got up as quickly as he possibly could, his blue lightsaber held out defensively in front of him. Glancing to the side, he managed to see Obi-Wan and the now startled Anakin sitting up in the cot. The golden eyed Jedi looked back towards the window, backing up more with wider eyes.

“What the hell is going on?" Anakin asked as he ignited his own lightsaber. “Who are you?”

“I’m Arlan." the frazzled Jedi said. “The city is under attack again.”

Anakin didn’t have time to respond, as glowing red lightsabers interjected themselves into the conversation, their owner showing soon after.

“Well, well, what have we hiding in here?” a rough feminine voice hissed. The sith, a pale faced woman with purple markings on her chin said, crouching on the window’s frame, two red lightsabers lit, and yellow eyes shifting around the room. “More sheep gathered for the slaughter.”

Her eyes fixed on Obi-Wan and, obviously not knowing he was the last Mystic they were searching for, she leapt at him, glowing red trailing behind her as she wound back to cut him down.

Instinctively, Obi-Wan took a step backwards, raising his hands to protect himself—not that they’d do any good against a lightsaber.

Two blue blades deflected the red lightsabers threatening to harm the omega. Both Anakin and Arlan glanced at each other before they began attacking the Sith, pushing her away from Obi-Wan as far as they could. They managed to push her back outside the building, though they lost the advantage of pushing her back as soon as they stepped outside. Their fight turned into dancing blades of blue and red, blurring together purple as they fought.

Obi-Wan hurried over to watch the fight outside a moment before he turned around and hurried to inform the healers that their hiding spot was compromised and that they needed to figure out what to do with those in their care. Then he tossed on his boots and slipped outside again.

Arlan was tossed away once again by the Sith, leaving Anakin to fight her alone. The battle was intense and moving at a fast pace, faster than what the alpha was used to, and it showed. He was struggling to catch his breath very quickly, and the Sith was taking advantage of it. Anakin felt he might have to give up soon, escape from the Sith and take Obi-Wan far away from the battle. However, he didn’t want to leave Arlan behind to fight the Sith by himself. The fellow alpha was struggling just as much as he was, and two people fighting against one Sith was better than one that was struggling to fight. Arlan must have realized that as well, because he threw himself back at the Sith and fought with all his might, letting out a snarl as he fought.

“The one that got away!” another voice yelled out, and Obi-Wan turned, seeing a Sith pointing at him, clearly having recognized him as a Mystic.

Obi-Wan turned and ran, his long hair no longer up in his usual braids, so his locks flew behind him freely. Things were starting to look like his vision, so he wasn’t completely scared. He knew a little of what to expect, but then again, some of the things he knew to expect were scary in itself, even if he knew he’d be fine.

A glance back over his shoulder proved that he was being pursued by at least five Sith Outsiders.

Anakin happened to catch a glimpse of Obi-Wan running away, making a frustrated noise as he was caught off guard and nearly got his arm sliced off. He wanted to help his omega, but he was too busy keeping the Sith at bay to consider leaving Arlan alone to fight her.

Arlan was also able to see Obi-Wan running away, and he glanced at Anakin, noting how distressed he seemed to be. “Go save him, I’ll take care of this.”

“Are you kidding? You’ll die.”

The white haired Jedi grunted as he used the Force to push away the Sith like she had done to him multiple times. “Go! I can keep her at bay.”

Anakin hesitated, but he caved and went to chase after his omega, leaving Arlan alone to fight the Sith.

Obi-Wan was jerked back suddenly, and he gasped out as the sudden pull backwards reminded him of his head injury. But he didn’t have time to dwell on it as a red saber blade appeared close to his throat, the Zabrak that had hunted him the day before appearing close with a satisfied smirk.

“You’re the last one we need." he hissed. “You won’t be escaping this time.”

“Obi-Wan!” Anakin called out to his omega, deactivating his lightsaber. “Use this!” He tossed it to the redhead.

Reaching out, Obi-Wan caught the weapon his lover used and he ignited it, shoving the Sith back away from him as blue clashed a little shakilly with red.

“Stay away from me and leave Voss!” the Mystic hissed out.

“Why would I leave when you’re the very last person we need? Don’t you want to save Voss? You’d be helping your home if you just surrender.” The Sith unleashed a round of quick attacks.

“Voss’s Mystics belong on Voss. We will not go with you.” Obi-Wan said, barely blocking the attacks.

“You say that as if there are more of you planet side. Do you not realize that you really are the last Mystic on Voss?”

“They’ll all return to Voss.” Obi-Wan insisted, attempting an attack.

The Sith easily dodged it, calling upon the Force to send the omega flying backwards. “You’re foolish to think so. All the Mystics are held in a place where no one will ever find them. Not even the Jedi you called to help you can find them. You might as well give up now.”

“Don’t underestimate Voss.” Obi-Wan growled as best he could, trying to imitate an alpha’s growl of intimidation—it was weak without an alpha tone behind it, but he tried as he pushed himself back to his feet.

The Sith laughed at the omega’s attempt at a growl. “So pathetic. No wonder the others were easy to capture.”

“If I’m pathetic, then why do you keep failing to capture me?”

“Because you have that damned alpha Jedi always saving you. Once he’s out of the way, you will easily give in to us.”

“He wasn’t there when you attacked our speeder.”

The Sith growled, his complete with a very aggressive alpha tone. “You’re becoming annoying to deal with. Surrender now.”

Obi-Wan was horrified when a whimper caught in his throat and his body shook, his movements going stiff as something deep within his biology willed him to  _ obey _ .

No, this wasn’t right. This wasn’t  _ his _ alpha. This wasn’t  _ Anakin _ . He didn’t have to obey—he didn’t have to obey Anakin, either, but Anakin would never use such a dirty trick to control an omega. Shaking, he glanced over in the direction he thought Anakin would be, finding him distracted and regathering their forces against the Sith Outsiders. Too far away to know—to do anything—to help. Obi-Wan was stuck there, holding a weapon his body suddenly didn’t want to raise.

He was scared.

His wide eyes shifted back to the Sith and he sucked in a breath, trying to will himself into moving again.

“FIRE!” a strong voice called out a loud command, and in the distance the morning was lit up further by countless blaster bolts.

All the attention on the battlefield was turned towards the massive armies suddenly focusing all their fire on the Sith. Anakin was able to take a moment and breathe, take in all that was happening. All the soldiers looked exactly alike. They must have been the alphas that Obi-Wan had seen in his vision. A smile broke out on Anakin’s face as he was able to start taking down Sith left and right.

Still busy with the Sith wielding two lightsabers, Arlan barely got a chance to take a breather before the sith let out an angry scream and started attacking him with an intensity that was much stronger than before. He cried out as one of her lightsabers got far too close to his face.

A bolt from a blaster suddenly flew past Arlan’s ear, so close he could feel the heat of it before it found its mark on the Sith’s shoulder.

The Jedi was startled by the shot, stumbling away from the Sith and watching her groan with pain as she tumbled to the ground. This was his moment to catch his breath, to either fall back or finish the Sith off. Deciding he was too exhausted to keep fighting, he moved away more, looking at who had shot her. It was one of the alphas that had been rescued from the Sith ships. Arlan stepped closer. “Thanks…”

The alpha stood with blaster trained on the SIth, honey colored eyes narrowed, and long hair pulled back in a messy braid. “My pleasure. Feels good to finally fight back.”

Arlan took a good look at the alpha, and suddenly it was like the war didn’t exist anymore. This absolutely beautiful person before him had just saved his life, and here he was getting butterflies in his stomach. “You must be one of the alphas that the Mystic saw in his vision…”

“I don’t know anything about a Mystic or a vision, I just know some guy claiming to be a Jedi came in and helped us take control of the ships we were on and said we can fight back against our masters. That we can be free after this is all over.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re here. Otherwise I might be dead, and I wouldn’t have gotten to meet you.” Arlan smiled.

The alpha blinked, shooting the sith three more times, once in the other shoulder and once in each leg to stop her from going anywhere before finally looking at the Jedi alpha. “You’re glad to have met me?”

Arlan looked back at the Sith. “Yeah… I mean we’re both alphas, but… wow.”

A blush suddenly crept up along the alpha’s tan skin, and they shifted weight from one leg to the other, “...My bothers call me Dixti.”

"It's so nice to meet you, Dixti. I'm Arlan, Jedi Knight." The man bowed slightly as he continued to smile.

“Jedi… I—Oh no you don’t!” Dixti shot again at the Sith woman who was starting to move. “You don’t get to control me anymore, Ventress! I—I’m a free woman now!”

“You still have a slave chip, you’re not free.” the Sith hissed.

“My brothers and I were promised freedom. We’re taking that freedom.”

"Slave chip?" Arlan looked back at the Sith, Ventress. "You kept this stunning woman's freedom from her and her brothers? You're as disgusting as a Hutt running a blank market of slaves."

“Hardly. They aren’t real humans.” a wicked smirk twisted her face, “They’re clones. All of them. Just copies of one man. There’s nothing special about any of them. Nothing unique. And they come out of the test tube with the chip already in their brains.”

"You clearly don't know what you're talking about. This woman is absolutely unique, and if someone can't see that, then they clearly don't deserve her."

“That thing is just a product.”

Dixti clenched her jaw and aimed her weapon at Ventress’ head, “We were told that the Jedi wanted a few of you alive to question—but I don’t think you’ll quite make it.”

"She'd be a pain to question, it seems like." Arlan said, deactivating his lightsaber and clipping it to his belt.

“You won’t stop me?” Dixti asked.

"Well I certainly won't make you shoot her."

She nodded and looked back at Ventress, “It’s over. My brothers and I won’t kill for you or your kind ever again.”

She pulled the trigger.

Arlan looked away, trying not to feel Ventress's Force signature fade away. "Well, now that that's taken care of, let's go see if anyone else needs help."

She nodded, “I’m told there are some people to save. That the Sith were planning to take them, use them...we...we figure to make them like us. Just tools to use for killing.”

"If that's the plan for the mystics…" Arlan shuddered. "We better go find the last Mystic on the planet and make sure he's safe."

“Do you know this Mystic? What they look like?”

"I don't know much, but he's got long red hair and he's real short."

“I’ll be on the lookout for him, Arlan, Jedi Knight.”

It was Arlan's turn to turn red, chuckling lightly. "That doesn't ever sound good when people say it, but I think this is the first time it sounded right… Because you said it."

“But that is your name, shouldn’t I address you as such? I’m...my brothers and I don’t...we only get to interact with each other so we never...we only know how to shoot and fight.”

“Have you not been around other people besides the Sith and your brothers? You’re just weapons to fight in a war that you have no connection to.”

“No, there has also been...targets…” she muttered, looking down, “People the Sith ordered us to kill...keep us trained to follow orders…”

Arlan was horrified by the reality of the thousands, if not millions, of alphas who were kept not even as slaves, but as weapons of war. “I hope that we can keep our promise and free you all after this is over. It sounds like you’ve all been living bad lives.”

“It’s the only life we’ve ever known.”

“I’m sorry you’ve not experienced the good things in life.” Arlan paused. “You know, I’d show you how good life can be if you let me.”

She looked at him, then glanced away again, “It depends...on if we succeed in breaking the master-slave bond with the Sith and what—what my brothers and I all do after that. Where we go—if we have a place to go.”

“You’d have free will. You have free will now, but you could choose where to go, where to settle down and call home.”

“We’ve always only had each other, my brothers and I. I’d want to stay with them no matter what.”

Arlan nodded. “That’s a valid reason to wait. I hope that whatever you choose, you’ll be happy.”

“One thing at a time. First we have Sith to deal with.”

“Right.” The Jedi looked towards the chaos of fighting Jedi, Voss, Dixti’s many brothers, and Sith. “Let’s go help take out these Sith.

* * *

When the literal army of alphas with the same face had entered the fight, Obi-Wan had been hopeful. The Sith were greatly outnumbered, and the Voss and Jedi were able to get their injured off the battlefield before rejoining the fight.

But he’d already been separated from everyone but the Sith that had relentlessly pursued him since the attack on the Shrine. And the lightsaber in his hands wasn’t enough as he fought his own body to retake control—to fight back.

“You’re fighting back too hard." the Sith growled, continuing to use his alpha tone on the poor omega before him. Every growl he gave, he took a step closer to Obi-Wan. “Just give in already. You know you want to.”

“Stop it!” Obi-Wan bit out, his body trembling with his need to fight or run, but being locked in place by the compulsion the alpha had over him.

He hated it.

This was the thing Anakin had mentioned that he had never heard of. It was real, and it was being used against him. He felt  _ helpless _ .

“Why? It’s clearly working. I just need to keep talking and you’ll be letting me take you away. So drop the weapon.  _ Now. _ ”

The lightsaber shook as his fingers began to loosen their grip and he fought them, but with just another hint of a displeased growl from the Sith, they failed him and the Jedi weapon tumbled to the ground and deactivated at his feet.

“Good omega." the Sith praised, though the alpha tone still strong in his words. “Come here.”

“No…” he choked out, even as his feet moved to slowly approach the Sith.

“Come on, don’t fight now. You’ll just prolong the inevitable.”

“ _ You _ ," he spat out with as much venom he could muster, “are not my alpha! I—I don’t have to listen to you!”

The Sith lunged forward and grabbed Obi-Wan by the neck, fingers pressing painfully into the omega’s scent gland. “You’re a pain, but you’re caught now. It’s over.”

Obi-Wan coughed, gasping for breath as his body collapsed and went completely limp. “ALPHA!” he managed to half-scream, half choke out, hoping Anakin would hear him.

He should have called out sooner, but he hadn’t thought to do so.

“Screaming for your alpha won’t help. You’re captured already, so shut up and quit fighting!” The Sith started dragging Obi-Wan with him, keeping a tight grip on the omega’s neck.

“I’m  _ his _ ! He’ll  _ kill _ you for touching me!” the omega croaked out, panicking that no matter what his body remained limp.

“I’d like to see him try. He’s as weak as you are.”

“Stop using dirty tricks and I’ll show you just how ‘weak’ I am, you spiney fucker!”

“I’m just using what the Force gave me. It’s unfortunate you drew the short end of the stick,  _ omega _ .”

“You think you’re better than me because I’m an omega...but you need what I have. My visions. They are superior to any you can hope to have. No alpha has ever become a Mystic. If it is this Force that is responsible for such things, then it is you who got the short end of the stick.”

"Shut up." The sith punched Obi-Wan in the gut to silence him. "You still don't get that you're captured right now, so all the Mystics are under Sith control."

“You have us, but you do not control us…” Obi-Wan wheezed out between gasps of pain.

"We control all but you, but that will change soon. You'll see." The two came upon a shuttle that would take them to one of the Sith ships, the Zabrak shoving Obi-Wan inside and making sure he didn't get the idea to escape. 

As soon as the pressure on his neck lifted, Obi-Wan regained his control, and he pushed himself up, launching himself at the Sith, intending to bowl him over, get out and  _ run _ .

Instead, the Sith grabbed Obi-Wan's arms and pulled him down hard onto his knee, growling loudly as the omega  _ yelped  _ like an injured pup. "You never learn, do you?" he asked the omega as he dragged him further into the shuttle, closing the entrance behind him and locking it.

Obi-Wan glared up at the Sith, tears gathering in his eyes and blurring his vision.

"If I'm lucky, your alpha will die fighting on Voss, and the Jedi will leave once more." The sith rolled his eyes at the glaring omega.

“He will hunt you down and kill you—I—I’ve seen it!” Obi-Wan lied.

"You better not try that with me, omega, or you'll end up worse than you already are."

“I’m not the one you should worry about.” Obi-Wan said, curling up into a ball on the floor as turbulence rocked the shuttle while leaving the atmosphere of his home planet.

"I'm sure as hell not worried about anyone, especially your alpha. He doesn't know where to even begin looking for you."

“He—He can sense me! With the Force thing. He said he could do that kind of thing.”

That made the Sith tense up. He slowly turned to look back at Obi-Wan. “He created a Force bond with you already?”

“I don’t know anything about that. We don’t know of or learn of the Force on Voss. I just know what he’s told me, and that he will always come for me.”

“Your alpha better understand that he’s in over his head with this. I know when he’ll be coming, and he won’t get very far if he makes it onto the ship I’m taking you to.”

“I have faith in him.”

“Foolish. I bet he doesn’t even know you’re gone yet.”

“He will know, and he will come for me and my fellow Mystics.”

“You have too much hope. Don’t go crying when reality hits you and he doesn’t find you. Or better yet--cry. Your face would be lovely stained in tears.”

“He will; and I won’t let you take my hope.”

“Then I guess I have to squeeze every bit of your hope out of your body until you’re broken and you obey like all the other Mystics.”

"Voss don't break for Outsiders." Obi-Wan huffed.

“All the Mystics have. I can’t wait for you to see them all with their faces to the ground when we get to the ship.” The Sith smiled wickedly down at the omega, showing off his nasty teeth.

"Liar."

“Oh I’m not lying. We have the Mystics in the palms of our hands. There’s no way they can be saved unless a miracle happens.”

"There's no way…"

The Sith scoffed. “So ignorant to what happens in the galaxy. I can’t wait to be finished with Voss.”

"You should have never come."

“And you should have never tried to fight back.”

"We won't sit back and  _ wait  _ to be slaughtered."

"Good, that means we can kill all of you as soon as we have what we need."

"You're a disgusting people." Obi-Wan said weakly. 

"We strive for it." The Sith chuckled darkly, smiling down at the omega. 

"Why?"

"Because if not, we're trampled on like grass. Sith are powerful, and we demand to be respected and treated as such. Most of the time no one cares, so we force them to care."

"The Jedi are—"

"Do not mention the Jedi!" the sith roared, pulling out his lightsaber and igniting it, holding the blade close to Obi-Wan's throat again. "They are nothing like we are. They are  _ slaves  _ to the Force."

The omega trembled, "They don't have to use violence to gain respect."

"They don't know how to rule a galaxy that way. Power is needed, force is used, fear is implemented into the minds of those who oppose, and that is how the Sith rule better than the Jedi ever hope to."

"What will be left to rule if you kill the civilizations."

"We're not killing Voss. Once we learn what the Mystics know, we'll be on our way." The sith sighed, sheathing his lightsaber once more and crossing his arms. "I hope you've enjoyed our little talk. We will be docking soon, and you'll see if your faith can really hold up against reality."

"Our visions don't work like that." He muttered, curling up tighter in a ball. He wasn’t about to admit it, but he was terrified as to what the Sith planned to do to him—what they have already been doing with the other Mystics. 

* * *

To be continued...


	17. Chapter 17

They had won. The army of alphas Qui-Gon had found and rallied to fight back against their oppressors had been more than enough to turn the battle around in favor of the Voss and their allies. The armed men (and some women) with identical faces outnumbered the Sith ridiculously. But the fight wasn’t without casualties. Some of the alphas fell, joining the numbers of fallen Voss and Jedi. But the Sith had fallen harder, with the only few remaining alive taken captive by the Jedi, and the council members present on Voss set up a space to question them, along with a few Voss representatives who wanted to know where the Mystics were taken.

The rest of the battle survivors were set to gather their dead—and the Sith’s dead which also needed to be taken care of. They didn’t want the enemy to sit there rotting in Voss-Ka’s ruins.

Anakin was starting to panic. He couldn’t see Obi-Wan anywhere, nor could he sense him nearby. He was hoping that maybe the Mystic had found a place to hide and try to shield himself, but the alpha had a sinking feeling that something worse had happened. 

Trying not to think about it too much, because Obi-Wan could take care of himself fairly easily, Anakin made his way through the grim battlefield, assisting where he could while calling out his omega’s name every once in a while.

“Anakin, I’m glad to see you’re still standing.” Qui-Gon said, walking over to Anakin when he spotted him and pulling him into a hug, “I worried when I—how many times have I told you not to lose this?” he pulled out Anakin’s lightsaber from under his robe and pressed it into Anakin’s hand. “When I found it on the ground amongst the rubble, I thought you’d been lost to this galaxy…”

"I gave my lightsaber to Obi-Wan," Anakin said, worry in his voice. "He was being attacked by a Sith and needed a better weapon."

“He was the Sith’s target, why was he here and not off hiding in a safe place with a few guards?”

"He had a concussion from a speeder crash that happened a little ways from here. Nodin-Va called me in to comfort him, then this morning we woke up and there was a battle going on."

“...and you just gave him your weapon and left your injured future bonded to fend for himself knowing he was a target? Anakin, your judgment on the situation is very lacking. Where’s Vos? —Knight Quinlan Vos, that is. We could use his retrocognition ability to find out what happened to the omega.”

The tall Jedi Master took back Anakin’s lightsaber and started walking, looking around for the Kiffar.

"It's not like Obi-Wan was completely unable to think clearly," Anakin argued. "I couldn't get to him in time to save him. I had to toss him my lightsaber."

“And then what? You didn’t try getting closer? Lost sight of him? You’re lucky I didn’t see any detached limbs where I found this.” Qui-Gon said, waving the lightsaber to make his point.

"I tried to get to him, but the damned Sith were keeping me from him! All I had to use were my fists!"

“Because you gave up your weapon.” the Jedi sighed, clearly annoyed, “I know you want to show you have faith in your omega and not treat him as a delicate flower that can’t handle rougher environments, but you also need to remember part of the role of a bonded alpha is to protect your omega, and in this case, he was in the middle of a battle where he’s not a trained fighter who has been honing skills for years, he had a head injury that was still a day old, he was the target of those we were fighting, and,” he paused to look directly at Anakin, “he’s still not officially bonded to you which means that any alpha can successfully use their alpha tone on him even without a head injury weakening his mind’s defence. I do not think we will find your omega here on this battlefield at this point.”

Anakin slouched, clearly understanding what had happened and how he basically caused it all to happen. "I don't sense him near," he said in a small voice.

“Which is why we need to find Knight Vos to get a clue to what happened. It’ll be a start, at least—ah.” Spotting the Jedi they needed, Qui-Gon called out to him as they moved closer.

“Yeah?” the Jedi looked up from what he was doing.

“We need you to see if you can get something from this. The omega Mystic was holding it and now he’s missing.”

“You mean that cute thing that went into heat in the Room of a Thousand Fountians back at the temple?”

Anakin tensed up, despising the grin on Quinlan's face. "Yeah, my omega…"

Quinlan put his hands up, “Hey, he was unbonded, smelled really nice, and I like helping cute omegas out. Not saying I’m out to steal him away or anything. Especially after the reprimand from the Council...that sucked…” He shrugged and lowered his hands, “But I’m also not going to stop calling him cute. Now hand over that lightsaber, I’ll see if the event attached itself to it.”

Qui-Gon handed him Anakin’s lightsaber and Quinlan closed his eyes, feeling it out.

“It’s not a strong event, a bit fuzzy and one that will fade from it, but...looks like the omega was using it with very basic skills as some Zabrak toyed with him, pushing him back away from the rest of the battle and then—oh…” he glanced over at Anakin, “The Zabrak was an alpha, and he used that over the cutie.forced him to drop the saber and then the event ends, but I think it’s safe to say he’s in the Zabrak’s hands now.” Quinlan said, holding the weapon out to Anakin.

The blond took his lightsaber back with a sigh. "Great, the last Mystic is in Sith hands now, and it's my fault. But more importantly the Sith used his secondary gender against my omega. He's gonna pay for that."

“But now we know he is with the remaining Sith who were not killed or captured. We can try tracking them down.” Qui-Gon pointed out.

"How do you suggest we do that? I mean I could try to sense where he is if we fly among the Sith's ships, but that's asking to get killed."

“We will need you to sense him. You have a Force bond with him already, right? You’ve always had attachment issues that leave the Council displeased, after all. But I don’t think he’s just up on a ship above Voss. They have all the Mystics now, they wouldn’t stick around, especially since they know the Jedi are here and their forces planet-side have been defeated and their slave army has been liberated—mostly. We need to disable their chips still.”

“We could use someone who is willing to get closer to the alphas and figure out as much information about the chips as possible,” Anakin said. “I can offer to help disable them, but I’d like to focus more on finding Obi-Wan as quickly as possible.”

“I’ll offer myself,” a Jedi with white hair, Arlan, interjected, walking up to the others. “I’d love to help with disabling the chips.”

Qui-Gon nodded, “There are plenty of Jedi to help with the chips. But you’ve been in charge of this whole Voss mission from the start. You need to get a team to help you track down the Sith that have taken the Mystics. Maybe take a Voss native or two on your team if any are willing. They’ll be able to help calm the Mystics during the rescue.”

Anakin looked over the mess of bodies on the ground, spotting  Rak-Ta and Rik-Ol tending to wounded and also carrying the dead away. “I want Rak-Ta and Rik-Ol to come with me, and as much as I don’t like it, Quinlan. I wish I could have Nodin-Va with me, but he needs to recover before he’s ready to take on tracking down the Sith.”

“Wait, me?” Quinlan asked, looking back at Anakin, “But I make you get all—defensive alpha-y.”

“Yes, you. You can help track down the Sith, that was clear to me when you figured out what happened to Obi-Wan.”

“You’ve never watched me work before, have you? This is why most of my missions are tracking missions.” Quinlan winked, crossing his arms with a smirk. “Alright, I’ll go. But only because it sounds more fun than staying here on clean-up and dechipping duty.”

Anakin sighed before looking back at Qui-Gon. “I’d like for you also to come, but if you prefer to stay here and help deactivate the chips, I’m fine with that.”

“I was the one to make contact with the fine soldiers who chose to fight even though they would be freed either way. I think it’d be a comfort to them that I be here helping with the chips.” Qui-Gon sighed, “Otherwise I’d go with you, Padawan mine.”

The young alpha nodded. “I’ll take some other Jedi and Voss willing to help me locate the Mystics. But I should be ready to go after that.”

“I’ll handle Windu for you, so don’t feel the need to update him before you leave. The faster you go, the better.”

“Thanks, that makes things a lot easier.” Turning to Quinlan, Anakin took a deep breath. “Alright, let’s go get the two gormak and gather some other Voss and Jedi, then we’ll be on our way tracking down the Mystics.”

“Right.” Quinlan turned to follow Anakin as the younger Jedi went about gathering a team.

* * *

Obi-Wan whimpered and curled up tighter into himself.The ship the Sith had taken him on had landed in a much bigger ship that had already been traveling away from Voss, and he knew he’d be moved again. But he wasn’t going to make it easy for the Sith if he could help it. He still felt violated from how he’d been manipulated by the alpha Outsider, and he was feeling defiant—pathetic, but defiant. He was  _ not  _ just going to stand up and march himself out to wherever the horned Sith wanted him to go. The Sith would have to work for it. The omega knew it’d happen, and that the Sith would get his way, but he wouldn’t let it be too  _ easy _ .

He didn’t look up when he heard the sharp tapping of booted feet approaching him, he didn’t speak; he didn’t respond at all.

"Look at me,” the Sith growled, shifting his boot close to Obi-Wan’s face.

Obi-Wan refused, turning his head away from the boot that smelled of worn leather and mud.

“I said look at me.” The boot kicked the omega’s face, then tipped his chin up.

The Omega winced, his cheek throbbing from the blow he knew would leave a bruise. Being forced to look up, he gazed past the Sith and grit his teeth, “I hope your horns get stuck in the ceiling.”

“You’re pathetic. Get up before I make you.”

“Sorry, looks like I don’t give enough of a kark to make this easy for you.”

The Force hummed and a phantom hand closed around Obi-Wan’s neck, hauling him up to his feet quickly and roughly. “You’ll break eventually, just like all the others. You’re the only one left we have to break, so make it easy for us so you don’t hurt any of your other Mystics.”

Not giving the omega a chance to respond, the Sith started dragging him off the shuttle that had been used to transport Obi-Wan to the only ship in the fleet that mattered.

Flailing his legs and gripping at the invisible hand closed around his throat as he gasped for what little air he was being allowed, Obi-Wan had no choice but to float along behind the Sith. He didn’t even try to speak, fearing that the last trickle of air he had access to would be closed off.

The doors to the shuttle opened up to the hangar inside the larger ship they had landed in. The Sith tossed Obi-Wan forward, releasing the phantom grip. "Walk on your own."

“Go knot a thorny plant!” Obi-Wan huffed, pushing himself up to his feet and rubbing his head. Being kicked and knocked around was not helping the still lingering ache from the crash the day before.

"If there's anything I'll be knotting around here, it'll be you." The Sith exited the shuttle with a dark look in his eyes.

“I already have an alpha. His is the only knot that’ll get close to me.” Obi-Wan snapped.

"He's not here though, is he? He wouldn't be able to stop me from taking you as long and as hard as I want."

“As if I’d let you.” Obi-Wan sneered, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end at the threat.

"It's not a matter of if you'd let me." Growling slightly, the sith approached Obi-Wan. "If I wanted you, I'd take you even if you didn't want it."

Obi-Wan took a step back, “You’re a vile, disgusting piece of bog shit!”

“Lots of people call me that. You won’t deter me by calling me names.” The Sith reached out and grabbed the front of Obi-Wan’s tunic. “So maybe try behaving so you don’t get my dick up your ass unwillingly.”

The Omega clenched his jaw, feeling his throat start to choke up purely from the urge to cry. He didn’t want to cry, especially in front of this Outsider, but he could feel himself on the verge of tears, all the same.

Silence fell between them for a bit, then the sith smirked and let go of Obi-Wan. “Start walking towards the door, and don’t think about running, or you’ll get a shock.”

Obi-Wan glanced up before looking back down at his feet. “A shock?” he questioned, though he knew he probably should have just started walking.

“Yeah, so get moving. Don’t ask anymore questions.”

“But I don’t understand…” he said, shuffling forward.

“You’ll learn if you act up again. It’s better to keep you in the dark anyways.”

Obi-Wan was about to ask further what the Sith meant, but caught himself and remained silent until he reached the door he’d been instructed to walk to. Then he simply stood there, head down, eyes on his toes.

The Sith opened the door, pushing Obi-Wan through before commanding him to keep walking down the hallway the door opened up into. At the end of the hallway was a larger room with several more doors. Not saying a word, the Sith pushed the Omega through one of the doors in the room yet another hallway behind that door. That series of doors and hallways went on for a while before the Sith gestured to a door that looked more secure than the previous doors. “Stay in this room until I say otherwise. You'll see what we've been doing to the other Mystics while we've been hunting you down.”

Obi-Wan couldn’t help but let out a shaky breath as he watched the door slide open.

Inside the room, all of the Mystics of Voss reacted to the sudden light they were exposed to, letting out groans and whimpers as they tried to move away from the door. Some of the Mystics were in the middle of heats, only worsening the living conditions they had.

The sith smiled as he pushed Obi-Wan inside. “It won’t be long before you end up just like every one of your fellow Mystics.”

Biting his lip hard enough to accidentally draw blood, Obi-Wan stumbled and tripped over what he assumed was someone’s leg, causing him to fall to the floor, scrapping his hands when he tried to catch himself. He shuddered and pushed himself up a little to look around.

The door closed after Obi-Wan had tripped, leaving the Mystics in darkness once more. Several of the Mystics looked at the redhead, their expressions grim and spirits low. Most were cuddling each other for comfort, especially those in heat.

Spotting Tah-Lee in the very dim light that was given to the Mystics, Obi-Wan shuffled over to her, curling up next to her. She had always been particularly grandmotherly towards him when he first passed the trials and became a mystic, so he both wanted to seek out that familiar comfort, and also help comfort her. 

Omegas normally couldn’t smell each other’s scents as they were evolved to alert alphas, not fellow omegas, but the scent of distressed omega was suffocating in the room, and most Mystics were Voss, not omegas, so it only put Obi-Wan more on edge.

“Mystic Obi-Wan,” one close to the omega said in a shaking voice. “They got you too… we… we were hoping you would have been able to escape them and figure a way to rescue us.”

“We were trying to find where they took you all…” Obi-Wan muttered, miserably, “But the Outsider that was hunting me finally got me. I don’t know...if they are able to keep looking for us, or if…” he shook his head and sighed, “My vision of a battle didn’t show the ending, if Voss and our Outsider allies won or if these Outsiders won. I can—only hope that they can continue to search for us…”

He shifted, looking around, “Are—is everyone…”

“Mystic Gan-Ty’s dead.” another said from the far corner of the room, the beginnings of heat shaking his voice, “He started having a vision and the Outsiders—one of them tried forcing herself into the vision. She corrupted it and it—it killed him. She didn’t even see the vision—no one knows what it had been about… and Gan-Ty...they just left him where he fell…”

Obi-Wan followed everyone’s gaze over to the Voss’ tall form, resting under a discarded robe in the best display of respect the other Mystics could manage for their fallen brother. And he realized that it wasn’t someone’s leg he tripped over, but the body of a lost Mystic. He felt a little sick.

“We were holding out for hope that you would help rescue us, since we hadn’t seen you here yet,” the first Mystic who had spoken said. “We figured you survived so long because of your new protector.”

“Much of it was Anakin.” he nodded, “But we got separated at Voss-Ka, and the Outsider hunting me—he did something I didn’t know an alpha could do to an omega...he took away my ability to control myself...it was—frightening.”

“What,” the omega in preheat squeaked. “How? I didn’t know that was something alphas could do…”

“I don’t know, he just demanded I drop the weapon I had and my body just—dropped it and froze.”

“That’s so scary. I hope my alpha never does that to me.”

“If Little Voss alphas know of such an ability, they never use it.” another Mystic said, “I’m sure word would have spread if it did ever happen. These Outsiders are just...valuless. No sense of respect for even each other.”

“I think—I think my alpha mentioned it once. Said only the worst kind of alphas would dare use such a thing. If we ever get back home, we won’t have to worry about such a thing.” Obi-Wan said.

“Oh thank the spirits. My alpha is kind to me, I’m sure she’s worried sick about me.” The omega sighed and pulled his legs up to his chest, shivering a little.

“We all have good alphas-those of us who have chosen an alpha, that is.” another said.

“I—I want my alpha…” said one of the omegas in heat, “It’s been so long since I’ve spent a heat alone and it’s...I feel like I’m going crazy…”

“You didn’t marry an alpha…” another Mystic said, confused.

“My Gormak husband is my alpha when I need him to be!”

“That’s fair, I guess.”

Several of the Mystics started striking up their own conversations with one another, lifting their spirits just a little until there was a loud banging on the door, getting the room to be silent quite quickly. It wasn’t much longer before the door opened again and the sith from before walked in. He pointed at Obi-Wan. 

“You, come with me now.”

Obi-Wan squeezed Tah-Lee’s hand before slowly pushing himself to his feet and glancing back at his Mystic brothers and sisters. Then he slowly approached the Sith with caution.

"Everyone in this room knows what's about to happen to you. I bet they didn't even tell you what's going to happen." The sith smirked as he looked back at the other Mystics, all cowering away from him.

“I know you Outsiders already have killed one of us.” Obi-Wan hissed, glancing mournfully at their lost Mystic.

"Just a weak link that was taken care of. Hopefully you will not end up the same." Roughly grabbing Obi-Wan's arm, the sith pulled the redhead out of the room, dragging him far away from the other Mystics.

“Your ally forced themselves into his mind during a vision! That wasn’t him being weak—that was invasive, corruptive, and dangerous!”

"He was weak by not being able to support someone else in his mind. From what I gathered, it's easy for your kind to let someone else into your mind and guide them."

“Through proper meditation! Not forcing someone else in during a vision! A vision isn’t to be shared that way! They get corrupted, inaccurate; changed by the other person’s will, and then it’d attack the Mystic’s mind!” Obi-Wan snapped angrily. “If you want to use us for our visions, killing us like that isn’t going to get you anything but wasted time!”

There was a brief moment where nothing felt real, no one moved, no sound was made at all. And then Obi-Wan was being forced to the ground rather roughly by a strong grip manifested within the Force. The sith was growling with his fists balled up tight. “You will learn to shut your mouth, omega.”

“B-being an alpha doesn’t make you better than me. And—and being an omega doesn’t make what I have to say wrong. There are better ways to get what you want!” Obi-Wan defied.

“The more you try to fight back, the weaker you’re going to get. You should learn from your fellow Mystics and shut up when I’m around.” The sith stepped forward and put his boot on Obi-Wan’s back, keeping him pinned down to the floor. 

“You shouldn’t—underestimate me!” Obi-Wan said, twisting enough to get Maul’s foot to slide rather painfully off his back, scraping the skin under his robes and tearing the fabric, He grabbed the Sith’s foot and gave it a sharp twist.

Shouting, the zabrak went down to the ground, though not before throwing a punch at the defying omega’s face. He called upon the Force once more to pin Obi-Wan down, growling loudly.

Obi-Wan let out a pained whimper, but he continued to glare at the Sith. He’d gotten a hit in. brought the Sith to the floor, even without use of the Force or whatever the Sith used to pin him. It was a small victory that had only won him more pain, but a victory nonetheless.

Reaching forward, Maul grabbed some of Obi-Wan’s hair and yanked it back so the redhead was looking up at him. “I’m close to considering just killing you. I swear, you pull one more stunt,  _ one more _ , and I’ll make sure your alpha never sees you again and suffers because of it.”

Obi-Wan grinned through his swollen lip, “Pissed you got humiliated by a  _ mere _ omega, oh big strong  _ alpha _ ?” he teased.

"Shut your whore mouth," Maul said, slapping Obi-Wan hard across the face. "You're really testing my patience and loyalty to the emperor."

The omega flinched, “Yup, struck a sensitive nerve…”

The sith stood up with a loud growl, hauling Obi-Wan with him and practically dragging him across the floor. Anger was flowing off Maul like water falling over a cliff. He was enraged at the omegas audacity to talk back and act like he wasn't an  _ omega _ . Soon the redhead would learn, though. Soon Obi-Wan would end up just like the other Mystics.

"You're not going to like what happens now, you son of a bantha."

“I—what’s a bantha?” Obi-Wan couldn’t help but ask.

"Shut up! Just stop talking or I'll throw you out the airlock!"

“Wouldn’t that displease your ‘emperor’?”

"It'd also displease your alpha, and I don't think you want to make your alpha upset at you."

“He’d be upset at  _ you _ , not me!”

Maul sharply turned the corner with Obi-Wan in tow and shoved him into the front of the airlock. It was clear he was really considering doing it. "I mean it, stop talking now. Obey me."

The whimper that left Obi-Wan’s throat slipped out before he could even try to hold it back when that dreaded  _ tone _ demanded that he obey. And his tongue seemed to lock itself in his mouth, refusing to form a syllable more.

"Now keep quiet until I'm done with you." Shoving him roughly away from the airlock, Maul continued on his original path of taking Obi-Wan to a room that was clearly used for torturous activities. Once inside the room, the redhead was sat down roughly in the lone chair bolted to the floor. He was strapped in so he couldn't move at all, couldn't put up any sort of resistance during the procedure.

Obi-Wan wanted to protest the treatment, wanted to fight back, but once again his body didn’t seem to want to listen to him—it listened to the horned Sith that still had no name as far as he knew. Nerves knotted in his stomach as he found all his paths of defiance cut off from him, leaving him at the mercy of the other—if the other was capable of such a thing.

Offering Obi-Wan a cruel smirk, Maul clasped his hands behind his back. "Now that you're restrained, you're very obedient. Maybe all it takes it a little bondage to get you to listen."

Pointedly looking away, Obi-Wan didn’t even try to respond to the taunting. He had the feeling that no matter what he said or did at this point, the Sith would be pleased—and he hated that.

"Now, let's get you in the same position the other Mystics are." The sith lifted his hand, and almost immediately a wave of electricity flowed through the chair and into the hands of the redhead.

The Mystic screamed so loud his throat felt raw in only seconds—but it felt like it could have been hours as angry bolts of pure energy followed his arms up to the rest of his body.

* * *

To be continued...


	18. Chapter 18

If Anakin didn’t feel good earlier when talking about Obi-Wan being captured, he sure didn’t feel great about it while tracking down the Sith that had taken him. His stomach churned as rage built up, anger at the one who had taken his omega away from him. Even with Quinlan doing his best to track down where the Sith had gone, it still made Anakin upset that he had left Obi-Wan to fight by himself. What a stupid decision it had been, and now he was paying for it. A growl escaped his lips as he glanced up at the Sith ships hanging in Voss’s atmosphere.

“Do you feel like we’re any closer to the cutie?” Quinlan asked, doubting that the Sith would stick around so long when they already had every Mystic Voss had to offer. “I don’t know how strong your bond is with him, but try your best to get a lock on him. My skills are good but not as fast as a strong personal bond.”

“If anything, it feels like he’s getting farther away,” Anakin grumbled. “It’s like he’s on a ship that’s speeding away from Voss, which might actually be what’s happening.”

“Can you get a direction?” Quinlan asked, moving to the controls and getting ready to launch the ship into hyperspace.

Closing his eyes, Anakin focused on his bond with Obi-Wan, trying his hardest to pinpoint a specific direction. It was faint, but he was able to briefly pick up on a direction, which he pointed out to the other alpha. “That way. I’m not sure where they’re going, but they’re going fast.”

“Let’s hope we can catch up before they reach their destination...I have a feeling they are headed someplace with a lot more Sith than what we saw on Voss.” Quinlan said, flipping a dreadlock back over his shoulder before turning the ship and blasting off as fast as the little, but speedy ship could take them.

“If we don’t… we could be losing the Mystics for good.”

“Let me worry about the Mystics, Skywalker, you worry about your omega. After all, I overheard some chatter that you were choosing to leave the Order for that omega. This isn’t a mission for you, it’s personal. Those Gormak guys in the back will help me with the rest of the Mystics.”

“I’m still a Jedi. This is still a mission for me… My omega just happens to be more involved now.”

Quinlan leveled a look at the alpha who wore Voss clothing and had a Voss lover, “And how much longer will you call yourself that? You already look quite comfortably adjusted to a new life on a new planet. You’re Jedi-trained, but you’re more that cutie’s alpha than anything. I don’t blame you for prioritizing his safety over any ‘Jedi mission’. I’m here to be the Jedi, let yourself be yourself.”

Anakin’s hard expression turned soft, allowing himself to express his emotions freely. “Master Windu doesn’t like me leaving. He doesn’t like that he’s losing his ‘Chosen One’. I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do as this Chosen One he keeps talking about. No one’s ever told me.”

“Master Windu is a stinky bantha ass.” Quinlan huffed, “He’s too stiff and lost in rules and codes, and he’s fucking jealous. Before you came along he thought he was the chosen one because of his technique in fighting that channels the dark side but in a light way I was a padawan back then, but I overheard my master talking about it with him one night. Then you showed up. You’re stronger than any of us. He’s jealous and wants to keep you under control because he fears what you could do if you ever got too close to the dark side.    
  
“It’s your life, Skywalker, you do what you feel is right, what you want to do. And you obviously have made your choice when you met that cutie, and Windu can’t do anything to stop you from leaving the order’s control.”

Anakin nodded. “Thanks… I just don’t understand why he’s so upset that I’m leaving. He can take back that Chosen One title if he wants it. I want nothing to do with it after I leave the order.”

“Prophets haven’t walked this galaxy for a billion years, if you even believe they existed. We have no reason to believe the prophecies they left behind are real. And honestly? One lone being in the entire galaxy holding the balance between light and dark? What a load of poodoo. The Force knows how to balance itself. It fluxuates, sure, but it has a natural balance it settles in. If anything, the fact the Sith are back is proof of that. Since the Jedi-Sith War’s end, light-side users greatly outweighed the number of dark-side users which tipped the scales towards the light. Now the sith are back to rebalance things. It’d be fine except the Sith are still out for galaxy-wide dominance. They aren’t like the other dark-side users such as the Dathomir Witches who stay to their own planet and do not interfere with the peace of the galaxy. So we’ll see the Jedi and Sith battling again...but you—you’ll live your own life away from all that. You’ll cuddle your omega in his nest and sing lullabies to your children.” Quinlan shrugged.

"That's all I want now. To be with my omega and provide him with a family if he wants it… It'd be such a better life for the both of us."

“And that’s what you are saving here. You’re rushing across the galaxy to save your omega and the future you truly want. He’s waiting for you—and you’ll be the only thing he’ll care about as soon as we are there saving all the Mystics.”

"I'm sure he'll care about the other Mystics getting out safely. He's known them most of his life anyways."

“They’ll all be scared, Skywalker. And maybe hurt. Your Mystic is an omega, that’s two big causes for a distressed omega, and even when not in heat, a distressed omega who has an alpha will seek the comfort of that alpha above anything else. Trust me—I have a ton of experience with omegas.”

"Yeah, of course you do." Anakin sighed. "I'm more worried about controlling myself when we get on that ship. I know I'll want to go hurt whoever stole him from me "

Quinlan shrugged, “If you’re not a Jedi...does it really matter if you do for any reason other than self-defence or the defence of another?”

"But I am still a Jedi. I might not look like one anymore, but I am."

“Only as long as you claim to be one.”

Anakin was silent at that statement. He didn't feel like a Jedi anymore. He felt more like a Voss native, like he belonged on that planet with his omega and the family they might have one day. Realising that Quinlan had been right in a sense, Anakin sighed and looked at the other alpha. "I can't claim to be a Jedi… not at this point."

“Then don’t force yourself to adhere to the Jedi code. If you see that Sith scum that took your omega, who used his alpha tone on him and likely touched him to drag him away...don’t feel you have to hold back your anger. I won’t blame you for pounding his face in, and I won’t tell Windu about it either.”

The blond nodded. "That sith is going to pay for what he did to my omega and all the other Mystics."

“Good to see you making choices for yourself rather than the order, kid. Now, we just need to catch up so you can make good on that promise.”

"We better catch up soon. I can only imagine what the Mystics are going through right now."

They traveled for a while, making adjustments as needed when Anakin could sense that whatever ship Obi-Wan was on had changed course. As they drew closer, Anakin was filled with a sense of unease. Something felt wrong in the bond, something powerful and leaking through. It wasn’t exactly like Obi-Wan was projecting intentionally. Obi-Wan wasn’t a Force-user—or at least Mystics weren’t the same kind of Force-user as Jedi where projecting emotions and physical feeling into the Force and across bonds was possible. But something was there, calling out to him, and he didn’t like it.

Eventually, there was a blip on the navigation screen, letting them know that there was something large ahead they wouldn’t want to crash into, so Quinlan eased them out of hyperspace, the stars snapping back to small dots and a large ship drifting in space before them outside the viewport.

“Hey, Skywalker, your omega feel closer?” Quinlan called out.

Anakin made his way back to the cockpit where Quinlan was, reaching into his bond with Obi-Wan. He was met with pain and panic, things he didn't like feeling from the other end of the bond. But there was no doubt that the omega was on that ship.

"He's there," Anakin said in a quiet tone.

“Alright, I’ll take us in, hopefully undetected. Tell the others to get ready.” Quinlan said.

Anakin nodded as he rushed to the back of the ship, telling the alphas and gormak who had come with them to prepare for landing. The two alphas who seemed to be in charge, Rex and Cody, gathered together what soldiers they had with them and talked out battle plans.

“Let me lead.” the alpha known as Rex said after a bit, “The Sith don’t keep many of us on their main ships like this, but sometimes takes a few on to do grunt work. I was on one before and have an idea of the layout. I remember where the holding cells are, and that’s probably where these Mystics are being held.”

“The Sith might turn a blind eye to a few of you going to the holding cells,” Anakin said with a nod. “It’s our best chance of finding out where the Mystics are.”

“Considering that’s where they keep us when they have us on one and we aren’t working, yeah.” Rex nodded “And we still have our chips so the doors will open from the outside for us—just not from the inside.”

“Then maybe a couple of you can stand just outside the doors while the rest of us gather up the Mystics.”

“We’ll do what we can to help—and—if any of our brothers are there, do you think we can bring them back, too?” Cody spoke up.

“Of course. We’ll rescue anyone who is under the control of the Sith,” Anakin replied.

The alphas all seemed to relax at the promise.

“Someone should stay with the ship to be ready for a quick escape once we get the Mystics safe.” Rak-Ta said.

“I’ll stay,” one of the similar looking alphas said. “I’ve piloted ships for the Sith before, I can get us out of here quickly.”

Anakin nodded. “Now we just need to figure out how us who don’t look similar can sneak onto the ship with a low profile.”

“You can take my armor,” the alpha pilot said. “You’re a little taller, but the sith barely take notice of us, even while giving us orders. They probably won’t notice.”

“I can also stay behind and let the other Jedi take my armor,” another said.

“Great, that takes care of everyone but Rak-Ta and Rik-Ol,” the blond alpha said. “Which if Quinlan and I focus hard enough, we might be able to masquerade them so the Sith think they’re more soldiers.”

The two Gormak gave him a questioning look, “You can what?”

"We can change your appearance to those who look at you," Anakin explained. "You yourselves don't change, but to the Sith you'll look like any other soldier."

“That sounds impossible, but,” Rik-Ol shrugged.

“Don’t worry, it’ll work, but it’ll take a lot of concentration from Quinlan and I.”

“We trust you, but the other Outsider is one who cornered Mystic Obi-Wan once.” Rik-Ol said, “You are sure we can trust him with our Mystics? Stress may have thrown the omega Mystics into heat.”

“Our helmets have scent filters,” the pilot alpha said. “They will block any omegan scents that might distract an alpha.”

“Good—The Jedi Outsider will not take his off.” Rak-Ta said.

“I’ll make sure he doesn’t,” Anakin reassured. “I’ll go tell him our plan and then he and I can change into the armor.”

“It feels good to be getting ready to help people rather than shoot them.” one of the alphas who volunteered to stay with the ship said as he started removing his armor.

Making his way back to the front of the ship, Anakin tapped on the pilot’s seat. “Hey, when you land us, we’re getting changed into armor from the soldiers. That’s how we’re sneaking into the ship, then we’re going to masquerade the two gormak to look like soldiers as well. Rex says he knows where the holding cells are, so he’ll be leading us.”

“Alright. Let’s hope this works. I surveyed the ship for a good entry point, but all there is is the hanger in back. We may have company quickly so start changing right away.”

“Right. Also, the gormak have requested you keep the helmet on at all times until the Mystics are back home. Some of the omega Mystics may have gone into heat due to stress.”

“Geeze, show interest in one Mystic once, and they never trust you again…” Quinlan shrugged, “Fine, fine, but I hate buckets, so don’t expect me to not complain.”

“Just as long as you keep it on. It’ll act like our masks and filter out the omegan scents.” Anakin patted the seat again and headed to the back of the ship once more. “Be quick getting back here to change,” he called over his shoulder.

“...Hate those masks…” Quinlan huffed, taking the small ship in for a landing.

It wasn’t much longer before the ship landed and the soldiers with similar faces were marching out of the ship. Thankfully with how few of them there were, they didn’t raise much suspicion as they exited. Then Anakin and Quinlan soon followed out, their lightsabers tucked away under the armor. The two Jedi focused their energy within the Force to cover up the gormak appearances, and then the group was moving away from the ship, a few Sith watching them leave though not bothering to stop them.

Rex took the lead, moving the group through the maze of corridors, each of the alphas pointedly ignoring the Sith’s violent activities with each other.

“You there! Clone!” one Sith growled out as they started turning yet another corner, his hand reaching out to roughly stop Quinlan. He held up a holo disk before slapping it in Quinlan’s hand, “Take that to Darth Maul. Immediately.” he said before walking away.

“Yes sir!” one of the alphas said so that they wouldn’t be looked at closer for not acknowledging the order, and so Quinlan wouldn’t speak and have his voice give him away.

Anakin held his voice until the Sith was far enough away he wouldn’t notice a different voice. “Clones… that makes sense. Impressive that the Sith made so many.”

“They have a contract with the long-necks on Kamino to produce us in mass.” Cody muttered, “As we die they just replace us...we’re nothing to them but weapons…”

“That’s awful,” the blond alpha said as they continued along to the holding cells. “I hope that freeing you from the Sith and your chips will make you feel more human.”

“Being given freedom is...everything to us.” Rex said, leading them along so they wouldn’t be caught standing around chattering.

“You’ll get your freedom. You don’t deserve to live as slaves to the Sith.”

“Can we rig this place to blow after we leave?” one alpha asked.

“I wouldn’t be opposed,” Quinlan said. “I’d rather smell an explosion rather than whatever scent blocker the filter in this helmet is putting off.”

“If we know everyone we need is off the ship, blowing it up might be a good idea,” Anakin said. “But only if we have absolutely everyone.”

“All the Mystics, any “alpha brother” Outsiders, and ourselves.” Rik-Ol said with a nod.

“It’s a lot to pull off in what little time we have, but if we act quickly we might be able to do it.”

“I can take the other Jedi and some others to go find our brothers,” Cody spoke up. “That way we can look for both our brothers and the Mystics at the same time.”

“I’ll go off to rig this place.” said the one that had suggested blowing the ship up to begin with.

Cody nodded. “Work fast, Boomy. We’ll work fast as well.”

“Use the helmet comm to let me know when you have everyone and I’ll start the countdown.” Boomy said, “But you know, be subtle about it. Sith have access to our helmet comms.”

“We’ll be careful, just don’t get yourself caught and blow the ship in a panic.”

“Blowing shit up is what I was trained to do.” Boomy said with a tone that hinted at his grin under the helmet, “I don’t mess up.”

As the clone ran off, Cody shook his head. “Shinies… but let’s break up into two groups so we can go find who we need. The quicker we are, the quicker we get out of here without raising suspicion.”

“And what about this Darth Maul guy? Should one of us deliver this thing in case they are expecting it?” Quinlan asked, waving the disk around. “You guys know better about the way these Sith operate.”

“Depends on what it is,” Rex said, taking the disk and looking it over. He activated it and silenced it so whatever data was on the disk wouldn’t make noise. “Looks like it’s updates on the Mystics… a couple are dead.”

Anakin sighed as they kept walking. “I hope Obi-Wan isn’t one of them.”

Rex closed the disk and handed it to one of his brothers. “Wooley, take the disk to Maul and regroup when you can.”

The clone named Wooley took the disk and saluted to Rex. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He marched off without looking suspicious, leaving the two Jedi and two gormak left with six clones between them.

“Right, so I’ll take Quinlan, one of the gormak, and two more brothers to go find our enslaved brothers,” Cody spoke up. “The rest of you can go find the Mystics. We’ll rendezvous back at the ship with Longshot and Hawk.”

“These Sith Outsiders will die painfully for murdering Mystics.” Rak-Ta growled.

“Blown into the vastness of the Stars is good.” Rik-Ol said, patting him on the shoulder, “Just concentrate on saving the ones we can.”

Once the Jedi, gormak, and clones were divided into groups, they each set off to find who they were looking for. When they split off from each other, Anakin was relieved he only had Rak-Ta to masquerade as they approached the holding cells. They checked several cells, most being empty, much to the disappointment of everyone. Anakin couldn’t even sense any of the Mystics until they were almost right on top of them.

When they finally came upon that cell that held most of the Mystics, Anakin was overwhelmed by the amount of distress pouring into the Force. He pointed to the door of the cell. “This one. They’re in here. Most of them anyways.”

“I’ll get the door.” Rex said, stepping forward to open it with his chip—it didn’t work. The door staying closed tight and not reacting to the clone’s chip the way it had worked with the other cells they had tried. He stepped back, looking dumbly at the door.

“Seems...they changed the security on this door…”

“Here, let me try.” Anakin pushed Rex to the side and focused in on the Force. He had to sacrifice masquerading Rak-Ta for just a moment in order to force the door to open. Thankfully he heard a little click, and the door slid open with ease. He quickly focused back on masquerading the gormak as he stepped inside.

Inside the room, all the Mystics cowered away from the light and groaned in pain, much like they had whenever Maul entered. Anakin was sickened to see how the Mystics had been treated, but he was even more worried by the fact that he didn’t see Obi-Wan. In the corner of the room, two bodies were covered out of respect.

“Don’t worry, everyone. We’re here to rescue you.” Anakin took his helmet off to show he was a friendly face.

“You—you’re Mystic Obi-Wan’s alpha…” Tah-Lee said from one far corner.

“Rik-Ol and I are here, too, Honorable Mystics.” Rak-Ta said, stepping forward, “The rest of these men are allies to Voss.”

“Please tell me Obi-Wan isn’t one of the bodies in the corner over there,” Anakin said in a hushed tone.

Tah-Lee shook her head, “We haven't seen him since...since one of the Outsiders dragged him away for ...for ‘conditioning’. He’s been gone a lot longer than any of the rest of us…”

Anakin sighed. “At least he’s still alive… But come on, let’s get you all out of here. Can most of you walk?”

“Yes,” a Voss Mystic replied, standing up and brushing himself off. “Some of us are in better shape than others…”

“Not to mention most Omega Mystics are in heat…”

“We—we can walk, just not fast or well.” one of the heated Mystics said.

“The soldiers and Rak-Ta can help you all back to our ship. Those not in heat can carry the bodies, and we’ll give them proper burials back on Voss.” Anakin looked back at Rex, Rak-Ta, and the other clones. “I have to find Obi-Wan. If I don’t make it back before the others do, leave. I’ll get us an escape pod or something.”

“D-don’t forget what Boomy is doing. We have to time the message to him right so he gets a chance to get back to the ship…” Rex said. “It’d be bad to lose one of our first friends…”

“I won’t forget. Just focus on getting everyone on the ship, including Boomy. If Obi-Wan and I are not there when everyone else is, just go.” Anakin put a hand on Rex’s shoulder before putting his helmet back on and heading out the door.

Anakin ran along the long hallways that were filled with holding cells. Not one of them that he went by contained his omega, which only made him worry more as he continued to run. Hallway after hallway, there were empty cells. He had to stop to catch his breath before he even felt close to Obi-Wan. Anakin was about ready to give up when finally, he felt something twinge within the Force, a familiar spark shrouded in the dark side and pain. He scrambled as fast as he could to the room he sensed Obi-Wan in. 

When he got to the door, he leaned his ear against it to see if there was anyone inside other than his omega, which thankfully Obi-Wan was the only one. Nearly throwing the door open, Anakin used the Force once more to get into the room.

The redhead sat slumped in a chair, the built-in restraints the only thing keeping him upright as his body twitched slightly. His robes were ripped and torn, a missing sleeve showing off how thin electric scars moving up from his hands along towards his shoulders. His face was bruised and swollen with some dried blood on his lips and chin, and his shoes were missing, the bottom of his feet supporting painful cuts that would cause pain once he’d be forced to walk on them.

Worst of all, he didn’t seem to respond to the sound of the door opening. Didn’t lift his head to look. His spark of defiance all but diminished.

Anakin whined as he saw his omega in such pain. He couldn’t help but feel like he caused all that had happened to Obi-Wan. Cautiously, and while removing his helmet, the alpha moved closer, a hand reached out until he lightly touched Obi-Wan’s exposed arm.

The omega flinched, but couldn’t pull away, “N-no, no more...please...I—I’ll be good…” he muttered, his speech slurred by his swollen lips and likely the pain he was in.

“Obi…” Shaking his head, Anakin moved his hand to his omega’s face. “It’s me, Obi.”

Obi-Wan glanced up slowly, blinking lazilly for a lingering second. “...Have I trapped myself deep within my own mind where I can feel safer..?”

“No, I’m really here.” To prove his statement, Anakin leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on Obi-Wan’s lips.

Obi-Wan didn’t respond at first, then his gaze drifted up more to meet Anakins before they grew wet and tears ran down, streaking his dirty cheeks. “A-alpha….”

“Omega…” Anakin nuzzled his mate gently, trying to scent him and calm him down. “It’s okay, I’m here now. I won’t anything else happen to you.”

“I—I didn’t want to listen—I tried to stop but—it hurts, Ani…”

“We’ll get you looked at by a medic when we get out of here.” Focusing on the restraints, Anakin broke the shackles that kept his omega bound to the chair, catching Obi-Wan as he fell forward. “Rest, I’ll get you off this ship.”

“Sorry, Ani…” he muttered, too weak to do anything but let his alpha man-handle him into a comfortable hold before lifting him up.

“Don’t apologize. If anything, this is my fault. I shouldn’t have left you to fight by yourself.” Anakin sighed as he threw his helmet back on and shifted Obi-Wan one more time. 

Leaving the room, he looked around to make sure he wouldn’t be seen carrying Obi-Wan away. Luckily the hallways was empty. Anakin focused hard on moving around sith who were roaming the halls. He was lucky enough to get back to the entrance to the hangar in which their ship was. Glancing inside, a few clones were standing next to the ship, blasters drawn and aimed at a few dead bodies of the sith who had been guarding the hangar just minutes before. Anakin sighed in relief before jogging into the hangar.

“Get in the ship! Start it up!”

“Just in time, Boomy just got back himself!” Cody said, following the blond onto the ship, blaster ready in case of any last second shooting being needed.

“Good, tell him to blow this place.” Anakin set Obi-Wan down just inside the loading ramp that he had jumped in. “Did Wooley get back too?”

“Countdown is already counting down. And yeah, everyone’s back.” Cody confirmed as the ship’s ramp closed and they lifted up to speed away.

“Good, we didn’t lose anyone.” Sitting next to Obi-Wan, Anakin took off his helmet and set it to the side. He reached to grab his discarded Voss clothes and wrapped them around his omega. “There, hopefully that’s a little more comfortable…”

“Don’t go…” Obi-Wan said, pinching Anakin’s mech finger as that was the only thing he managed to catch as the alpha pulled back.

"I'm not leaving, Obi. I'm just getting my clothes so you'll be more comfortable. Let me get this armor off real quick, and then I'll hold you until we get back to Voss."

Obi-Wan hesitated, then nodded and let go of Anakin so he could do as he said he would do.

“Hey, Skywalker, we got a nicer area set up over there where the other Mystics are. Used as many soft things as we could to set it up. You should take the cutie over there, too. The others don’t talk much once we got them moved, and the Gormak are guarding the area, but I’m sure they’ll let you in to cuddle your cutie.” Quinlan said.

"Sounds good," Anakin said as he stood up and stripped off the armor, leaving him in the black undersuit. 

"Come on, Obi, let's move to some place softer." He picked up his omega and carried him over to where the other Mystics were. The gormak let him pass, as they knew that Anakin wasn't going to try anything with any of the mystics. Anakin settled them down in a corner of the softer area that the other Mystics had cleared away so the couple could have their own space. 

Once they were settled, Obi-Wan curled into Anakin, unashamedly hiding his face into his chest as he sought out comfort.

Soon the space filled with Anakin's crooning that naturally started up as soon as all the omega mystics had settled. More relaxed pheromones were released into the air, which helped calm everyone down. Anakin was glad to finally have Obi-Wan back, though the omega was probably still in pain and needed medical attention. Still, the alpha hugged his omega close and scented him several times with little reassuring words.

“I wish…” Obi-Wan muttered after a while, “...that we had ignored tradition and just bonded, then maybe that Outsider alpha wouldn't have been able to—he was waiting for my heat so he could—he was going to bite me, Ani…”

Anakin pulled away slightly in horror. "What? He was really going to do that to you? Oh Force, I'm so sorry Obi-Wan...I think…we should marry soon. When you're healed up. We can have our ceremony and bond to each other before this war is over."

“I want to.” Obi-Wan nodded, gripping at Anakin’s hair as hepulled him close again, “Only want to with you.”

Anakin nuzzled close to Obi-Wan's scent gland, sighing. "Soon… we'll start planning as soon as we get back to Voss and get you looked at by a medic."

“Good…” Obi-Wan relaxed again, cuddling into Anakin’s chest before he seemed to drift off to sleep.

“Thank you for saving us...we had—lost all hope when they brought Mystic Obi-Wan to join us…” a nearby Mystic muttered.

Anakin looked at the mystic and smiled. "I wanted to bring you all home again. I'm sorry that we couldn't get here in time for two of you…"

“Each time one would start having a vision…” the Mystic shook her head.

“The Outsiders’ greed would kill them before the vision was complete…” another finished.

"That's terrible. I'm sorry we couldn't get here in time to save them. I'm sure it just have been hard to watch your fellow mystics die."

“We all...won’t be the same after all this…” another muttered, curling up under a blanket. “They promised to break us...and they did.”

Anakin shook his head, looking back down at Obi-Wan. "I had wanted to prevent this… spare everyone the pain and suffering it would cause, but we weren't prepared to save everyone. I'm sorry…"

“You did everything you could—everyone did.” Tah-Lee said, “You aren’t to blame, we—we just weren’t prepared enough to face this threat, and the price was very high…”

"As selfish as this might sound, I'm glad Obi-Wan wasn't one of the two to go. It's my fault he got captured. If I hadn't left him to fight on his own, he wouldn't be in this condition."

“He’s our youngest Mystic...we figured he’d be the safest of all of us. Most of us would be experimented on when we have visions until they find a way to get what they want without it resulting in our death, but younger Mystics have a higher chance at spreading our Mystic genes—even though it doesn’t exactly work like that, the Outsiders were determined to breed a whole generation of Mystics they could control completely. Obi-Wan is young, unbound, and able to give birth. He’d be ideal for their breeding plans. The Outsiders…are disgusting.”

Anakin let out a low growl, but kept it quiet so he would wake any of the resting mystics up. "They wanted to breed my omega… They have no right to even touch him."

“I’m sorry, I just..thought you’d want to know...we don’t know what all happened to him, but we knew of their breeding plans, so...be gentle with him. Especially if you two bond quickly after this.”

"If anyone touched him in any way to breed him, I'm going to murder whoever touched him. You don't touch an alpha's omega, even if they're not bonded." Anakin sighed. "Sorry. But thank you for telling me. I'll keep an eye on him."

“Well, the ship did blow up thanks to Boomy. With any luck, none of those blasted Sith survived.” Rex said in passing, not too close, but close enough to hear the conversation.

"Good. They all deserved to die for what they did to the Mystics." 

“And every other civilization they felt like erasing from the galaxy…” Rex muttered as he continued on.

Anakin turned his attention back to the mystic he had been talking to. "You should get some rest. When we get back to Voss, we'll have to hide all of you so you don't get kidnapped again."

She nodded, “I won’t argue with rest...or hiding…” She settled down, pulling one of the blankets over her as she curled up with some of the already resting Mystics.

Soon all the Mystics were settled down and curled up with one another, resting peacefully for the first time in a while. Anakin yawned and closed his eyes, intending only to rest his eyes and stay awake, but he too fell asleep beside all the Mystics, crooning lightly in his sleep.

* * *

To be continued...


	19. Chapter 19

“They’ve returned with the Mystics!” Dixti said, poking her head into the tent where many were gathered for dinner and a break from starting to rebuild Voss-Ka.

Almost everyone who had been eating popped up onto their feet to go outside. Arlan and Qui-Gon were among the first ones to leave the tent and watch the ship land nearby. They rushed over to the ship with Dixti and other clones, Jedi, and Voss natives. Everyone eagerly helped the mystics out of the ship and into either medical tents or the mess tent for food. Anakin and Obi-Wan were nearly the last ones to leave the ship, the alpha carrying his omega carefully over to the main medical tent so the redhead could be looked at.

Qui-Gon hurried to follow his former Padawan, “Did the rescue itself go smoothly or is this the result of it going awry?”

"We did kill some sith… and we blew up the ship. We might have company soon, but they were far enough away that it'll be awhile before word gets out. I think we're safe for a day or two, but I can't be sure." Anakin shook his head as he entered the medical tent and stood there, waiting for a medic to approach them.

The Medical tent was busy, Voss and Jedi healers working together to help those seriously injured during battle along with the newly arrived Mystics that had already been brought to the tent, and given an area to be treated in. They had clearly run out of beds, even makeshift ones, and were forced to spread clean sheets over the ground to lay the Mystics on.

“Please tell me this is the last injured Mystic.” a female gormak groaned, clearly overwhelmed. She was just a small town medic, she wasn’t used to more than two at a time, and even with help from other healers and medics, there were so many injured it was overwhelming for them all.

She found a clean sheet and a spot off to the side where Obi-Wan wouldn’t be in the way of foot-traffic. After spreading the sheet, she helped Anakin get Obi-Wan situated on it and started looking over his injuries.

She shook her head, “Some of these would be better tended to by a Mystic...but even the ones not here in need of healing aren’t going to be ready to heal… They say a Mystic’s healing takes a lot of physical and mental energy along with the sacrifices they make...but...The Outsider Healers’ abilities are at the same level of the Mystic’s in most cases, so maybe…” she looked around before calling out, “Outsider Healer Che, could you switch with me?”

Healer Che looked up from where she was changing the bandages on someone’s leg before nodding, “Reapply the bacta cream and give him fresh bandages.” she said, moving towards Obi-Wan and Anakin as the Gormak took over the bandaging job.

Healer Che knelt down next to Obi-Wan and began to use the Force to scan Obi-Wan’s condition, taking mental note of every injury inside and out.

“Knight Skywalker, I know you are not trained in healing, but would you be my assistant?” the Twi’lek healer requested. “We’re so busy that even a little untrained help is welcome.”

“Yes, of course I’ll help,” Anakin said eagerly. “What do you need me to do?”

“He’ll need plenty of bacta cream and bandages to keep it in place. Please go get those things and some cleaning solution and cloth from that crate over there. We’ll need to clean the cuts on his feet before applying bacta and wrapping them so they heal properly, he’ll need bacta on his bruises as well, and eventually on his arms in an attempt to fade the scarring, though that is not a for-sure thing. But first I need to focus on the nerves in his hands and arms. The Force lightning has damaged them. So while I work on his nerves, I’ll need you to clean and put bacta on his other injuries.”

Nodding, Anakin went over to the crate to get the things the healer requested. There was a lot of bacta cream, but Anakin wasn’t sure it’d be enough for all the scars and wounds on his omega as well as all the others who needed it. Still, if it was going to help his mate, then he was going to do his darndest to help as much as he could without the basic knowledge of healing. 

Settling back next to Che and Obi-Wan, Anakin spread out the things he had gathered. “How long will it take Obi-Wan to heal?” he asked as he started cleaning wounds.

“Hard to tell right now. We’ll have to treat him and then observe his healing progress before I can give you a good estimate.” Che looked up at Anakin, “His bruises and minor scrapes will take a few hours, his feet should take a few days to a week, but it is his nerves I’m unsure about. It wasn’t a regular electrical current he was being shocked with, after all, so it’s more complicated to heal. Don’t be alarmed if he twitches while, and after, I’m working on his nerves. It’s unavoidable.”

“Alright. I just know we decided we wanted to get married as soon as possible, and that traditional Voss weddings between alphas and omegas usually involve something that activates our heat and rut together. I just wanted to make sure he was healed before that happens…”

“He needs plenty of rest, so please do not do that until he gets the clear for more involved activities.”

“We won’t, I promise. I want him mostly healed before we start planning the big stuff.”

“I...would like to give him a dose of suppressors to stop his next heat from coming while he’s healing, but that is something I’d need his, or his alpha’s consent for. He’s not awake to ask so think on if you will give consent on his behalf or wait until he awakens.”

“I’m sure he’d not want to worry about heats until he’s healed, but I will talk with him when he wakes up, just so he does have a say in this.”

Che nodded, “Let me know quickly if he says yes. The sooner I give it to him, the better. You’ll likely have to explain to him what suppressors are. We learned quickly that Voss doesn’t have such medications to help regulate an omega’s cycle.” 

“I’ll make sure he knows.” Anakin started cleaning wounds on Obi-Wan’s face, sighing as he looked at his injured omega. 

“Good, I’ll make sure you get a pamphlet that has the answers to any questions he may have, and a list of potential side-effects so you two can make an educated choice together. Not having to deal with a heat would be in his health’s best interest right now, but if he’s uncomfortable with any of the side effects, we’ll try finding him some nesting supplies that aren’t already being used.”

She said, her hands glowing a soft blue as she passed them over one of Obi-Wan’s hands.

“We’ll think about it hard before we make a decision. If he does take the suppressants, he can just stop taking them whenever, right?”

“He won’t get it in pill form. Our traveling medical supplies only carries the injection kind that lasts a full month as it’s the most efficient kind to use when the omega needs time to heal properly. With any luck he’ll only need the one dose.”

"I see, so letting it wear off will be fine then?"

“Yes, his suppressed heat will start soon after it’s out of his system, of course, but then his cycle will be back to normal. His ability to conceive will also be unaffected with the short term use. It’s mostly just the side-effects while it’s in his system that will affect him. Most omegas will feel one or two of the side-effects, some feel none, and some feel all. It depends on the omega which is why there are so many suppressor options for the omegas who choose to continuously use suppressors.”

Anakin nodded. "Hopefully he won't experience any side effects. He deserves to just relax and heal after what he's been through."

“It’s hard to tell until he takes the dose. If he takes it. But for now you can help him with the bacta.” she reminded him when he had paused in his task during their conversation.

"Right…" Anakin returned to cleaning up Obi and wounds and putting bacta on them. "Does this look like good amounts of bacta, or should I use more?"

“That’s fine for the small injuries, but when you get to the deeper cuts on the bottoms of his feet, you’ll want to apply it thicker since we can’t soak them in a bacta bath. We ran out of the liquid bacta already.”

"Alright, I'll do that when I get to his feet."

After some hard work, all of Obi-Wan's wounds were treated and wrapped up, leaving the sleeping omega to finally relax properly. Anakin gave a good look over his mate before looking at Che. "Thank you for helping us. I know you're really busy with all the other wounded from the battle here."

“I will never ignore anyone who needs a healer’s professional touch.” She smiled, “You should go get some food while he’s still resting. You can eat here so you can be the first face he sees when he wakes up, and I’ll be around to check in on him later.”

"Thank you. I'll be back as soon as I can, just so Obi-Wan has someone familiar to wake up to."

Che nodded and began her rounds to help whomever needed it.

Obi-Wan lay on his sheet, peacefully unaware of the world around him.

Anakin managed to gather some food without very much confrontation from anyone else near the area. He didn't spend much time around where the food was being served, but rather he went back to the medical tent, settling down next to Obi-Wan once more to watch him while he ate. Just in case, Anakin had decided to grab some extra food for his omega.

It was when Anakin was nearly finished when Obi-Wan began to stir, shifting slightly before cracking open his eyes to blink a few times. Then they found Anakin’s knees and followed his form up to his face.

“...You have rice on your face…”

The alpha looked down at Obi-Wan with wide eyes, wiping his face and seeing that he did have rice on his face. "Well. Glad to see you're up."

The omega gave a small smile and nodded, “Was I asleep for very long?”

"Eh, not too long. I mean you slept through the landing and taking care of your wounds."

“We’re home again? On Voss? And the Sith Outsiders are gone?”

"We're home, yes, but the Sith might be coming back, especially after we blew up their ship… I plan on finding a hiding spot for all the Mystics where the Sith won't find you. Hopefully it'll be a safe place long enough for the rest of us to drive the Sith away completely."

“I’ll stay where you tell me to stay.” Obi-Wan promised.

“Good. I don’t want to lose you again.” Anakin leaned down and gently kissed his omega’s lips. “I have some food for you if you’re hungry.”

“I—” Obi-Wan paused, “I can’t remember the last time I ate…”

“So you should eat.” The alpha smiled and helped Obi-Wan sit up before handing him the plate he had been eating off of. “Most of this is for you if you want it.”

“Thank you, Anakin, I...may need help. I don’t have much energy right now.” he admitted, placing the plate on his lap.

“That’s fine. Just let me know if you need to rest again. You need the best recovery possible after what you went through.” 

“Eat then rest again, I think. Will you stay with me when I rest again?”

“Of course. I don’t have anywhere to go until we move all the Mystics.”

“Good...I feel safer knowing you’re close, Alpha.”

Anakin sighed as he leaned into his omega and hugged him, closing his eyes. “I’m glad I found you before that Sith could mark you…”

“I tried being difficult...I think it only made him want to control me more…”

“You fought back though. You’re so brave for doing that.”

“Also stupid.”

Anakin shook his head. "You did what you needed to. You showed those sith that you weren't going down without a fight. Yeah, I was worried sick about you, but you're still alive, and that Sith never got to mark you."

“Or throw me out an airlock…” He sighed and reached out to pick up a cup of water, his hand shaking almost violently as he lifted the weight.

Anakin supported Obi-Wan's hand and helped him take a drink. "You're here, you're safe again, and I'm glad for both."

Nodding, Obi-Wan sighed and let Anakin set the cup down again without worrying about it spilling. “I’d like to stay safe his time…”

"I'll make sure you do. Which reminds me, the healer who worked on you wanted to put you on suppressants. I told her I wanted to talk to you about it before we made a decision."

Obi-Wan paused in eating, looking up with a confused look, “What are suppressants?”

"They prevent your heats from happening basically. The healer wanted to give you a dose for you to take so you wouldn't have to worry about having a heat while you're healing. I think it's a good idea, but I wanted to know what you wanted, because I didn't want to make that decision for you."

“But—without heats I won’t be able to get pregnant…”

"It's okay, the suppressants don't last forever. It's like a medication that you take. You'll get an injection that'll last about one cycle, and that should be plenty of time for you to heal. As soon as that dose wears off, your heats will return to a normal cycle."

“And it won’t stop us from having a baby when we’re ready to?”

"Not at all. There's side effects, of course, but that always comes with taking medications, which is what the suppressants are." Anakin ran a hand through Obi-Wan's hair with a smile. "Don't worry, we'll still be able to have a family at any time after the suppressants wear off."

The omega gave a considering nod, “What kind of side effects will it have if I take it?”

Anakin reached over to grab the list of side effects Che had left. "Headaches, dizziness, nausea, cramps and bloating, especially the first week or so. Nothing huge, and Healer Che said that most omegas only get one or two side effects from taking the suppressants."

“Just that? And...you think I should agree to one dose? Just one? I won’t have to more than that?” Obi-Wan questioned.

"Well there are more serious side effects that are rare, but yeah, just the one will give you enough time to focus on healing and not have to worry about a heat in the middle of it."

Obi-Wan didn’t say anything as he took another bite of food, taking his time to chew as he considered the idea. Finally he swallowed and looked over at his alpha, “If you really think it’s a good idea that will help my healing then—then just once.”

"I do think it'll help you heal properly and with as little stress as possible." Anakin put his hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder and squeezed it gently. "It's safe, and I can promise you it won't affect your ability to have a baby."

“After we bond, I definitely want us to have one or two…” His face flushed red, “...or three…”

Anakin smiled. "Warming up to the idea of a big family?"

“If it’s with you, I’ll be happy being pregnant and caring for babies…” he admitted in a low voice.

"I recall you saying you wanted to try out one pregnancy and baby before you made a decision on a large family. But I won't complain about this change."

“I just—I want to make sure it’s clear that I’m yours…”

"Of course, your my omega, and I'm your alpha. Nothing is going to change that, Obi." The blond leaned in and kissed his mate. "I love you."

“I know that, and you know that, but Outsiders are...different. And some don’t care about things like love. I know that now.”

"Well if that sith ever shows his face here, he's getting his ass kicked personally by me. You belong to me, not him." Anakin nuzzled Obi-Wan's neck, scenting him in the process.

A soft breath escaped past Obi-Wan’s lips as he closed his eyes and leaned into Anakin, “You scenting me like that...makes me want your bite…” he admitted.

"Soon," Anakin replied in a hushed tone. "I'll make my mark on you before you know it."

Obi-Wan nodded and sighed, “Help me with more water? Then I think I’m ready to rest again...unless I need that Suppressant medication before I sleep again.”

"Let me find the healer and tell her our decision, then we can get you more rest." Anakin helped his mate drink more water before he went off to find the healer. He returned shortly with her and some medical supplies she made him help carry.

Healer Che introduced herself to Obi-Wan, made sure he understood what an injection meant, and then gave him a dose of suppressants as the Omega leaned into his alpha to keep himself calm. The idea of suppressing his heat made him nervous, but he trusted Anakin on the subject. After it was done, Che left the couple alone again, and Obi-Wan lay back down.

“And now I won’t get my heat this month, but I might get cramps…” he muttered mostly to himself.

"I'll make sure you're comfortable if you do," Anakin said with a smile and a hand resting gently on Obi-Wan's stomach.

“I can handle a few cramps.” Obi-Wan said with a small smile, resting his hands on Anakin’s.

"I'm still going to make sure your comfortable. That's one of my jobs after all."

“I just would like you to hold me.”

"Well, I'm going to be doing a lot of that, since I lost you, you know." Anakin wrapped his arms around Obi-Wan and held him close, pressing a kiss to his temple.

“...Good.” he muttered into Anakin, closing his eyes.

Sighing, the alpha rested his head on Obi-Wan’s, closing his own eyes and relaxing. “Everything will be better soon…”

“Hope you’re right...I want things to be normal and safe again.” He muttered sleepilly, snuggling into Anakin a little more.

“Me too. I want to know what it’s like to have a normal life with my omega. I’m too used to life as a Jedi.”

“It’ll be nice for you to see how Voss normally is...when it’s peaceful...no war…”

“I can’t wait.” Anakin guided Obi-Wan to lay back down, curling up around him with a smile. “To live a normal life, to have a family with you, it all sounds so good.”

* * *

“I believe it is in Voss’ best interest if we seperate the Mystics.” Mace said, leaning forward in his seat, “The Sith are sure to return once they discover what happened, and we want to make things difficult for them to get things to go their way. Keeping their targets together makes it too easy. Separating them into different hiding places around Voss will force them to spend time looking. Even if they find one, that's the only one we have to worry about saving again.”

Tah-Lee gave a small nod, “I agree that would be a smart way to proceed in protecting my fellow Mystics. But some are in heat and others are injured or sick from when we were taken to the Stars. Travel is difficult for them.” 

As the oldest living Mystic, Tah-Lee had taken over as head of Voss until they were able to elect new leaders. But that wasn’t going to happen until the Outsider Threat was over. Until then, all of Voss would look to the Mystics for leadership, and the Mystics looked to the Mystic Elder.

"The Jedi can help escort them as comfortable as possible," Mace said. "But we do need to get them moving. We don't know how much time we have before the Sith come back."

“Each Mystic will need an Interpreter with them, should they have visions, but it will be fine if Jedi act as their Protectors. We lost so many of our Protectors when the Shrine of Healing was attacked, and then again here at the Battle of Voss-Ka.” Tah-Lee stated, her hands shaking in her lap. Her own personal Protector had been killed—her Gormak Husband. But she’d have time to mourn his memory later in private once everything had been figured out.

"Then they'll be protectors. I'll start assigning them to Mystics and we can start moving the Mystics into hiding."

“I will gather and speak to the Interpreters who are here in Voss-Ka so they will know the plan and can divide themselves up to ensure each Mystic will not be without at least one of them, and that they will know that the Protectors they travel with may be all Jedi Outsiders, or…” She glanced over at the few identical alphas in attendance of the meeting.

She pushed herself up and moved over to them, studying their faces, taking in the slight differences, be it scars or hairstyles, or even tattooed markings.

“You are also Outsiders who have helped Voss in our time of need, and it has been explained to me your people’s situation. As the one who speaks for all of Voss, currently, I would like to thank you and yours on behalf of Voss by offering your people the option of making Voss your home and no longer being Outsiders. We have much to rebuild, and our fight is not over, but please let your people know that they are welcome to stay and live the lives you each choose on our simple planet.”

"You'd really do this for us?" Rex asked the old Mystic. "The only home we've had before were Sith ships… And with all we've done in the past for the Sith, even I would be a little more hesitant to extend something to us."

“Voss help Voss.” she said, “We do not let in Outsiders lightly. Matters among the Stars do not matter, only what happens on Voss. You and your people have no home, and you have fought and died for the good of Voss when you could have stayed out of it and taken your freedom from the Sith Outsiders without the risks you took for Voss. Voss had reached out to the Jedi Outsiders for help, and they answered our plea. You came of your own will, and Voss recognizes that. For any who wish to stay and become a part of Voss, we will teach. You can choose your lives here. Farmers, crafters, protectors, interpreters...any career you wish to become, we will teach. You will be the same as all Little Voss, who started on Voss as Outsiders, but was embraced by Voss, and changed by Voss.”

She paused and reached out to cup Rex’s cheek with a small, barely noticeable smile, “Should you stay, you will be embraced as if born here, and your children will be part of the next generation of Voss. We do not have the same level of technology as you can find among the Stars, and we have been cut off from the Stars for so long, but we have good lives here when war stays away.”

Rex managed to smile back at her. “Then I think most of us will be glad to have a home, even if it doesn’t have all the technology that the rest of the galaxy has.”

“Voss welcomes you.” she said, her smile a little more noticeable before pulling back, “And now that you are Voss, if some of you wish to act as protectors, you will also be able to travel with our Mystics to keep them protected until this Outsider Threat is over. Or stay here to help with the rebuilding efforts. I apologize life can’t be normal right away and that we must put you to work like this.”

“We’ll help make things normal again,” Cody spoke up. “Even if it takes years, those of us who stay will help you rebuild as long as it takes.”

“Voss is grateful for that.” Tah-Lee said, placing her hand over her heart and bowing her head. “Go extend the invitation to the others so that they may make their choice on if to stay as Voss or explore the Stars for a home. I must gather Interpreters to start getting things ready to move Mystics to safe hiding places. Excuse me.” she said, excusing herself before leaving the meeting tent.

The group of clones watched the Elder Mystic leave with wide eyes.

“I can’t believe it...we have a home…”

Rex looked around at his fellow clones, a wide smile plastered on his face. “I can’t remember a time where I felt this happy. We’re finally free, and we belong somewhere now.”

“We have a community where I don’t have to look at the same face everywhere I look every karking day!” Fives smirked, giving Rex a playful shove before standing up.

“As if you didn’t like seeing my face every day,” Rex teased as he also stood up.

“You have such an ugly mug.” Fives joked with a laugh, “Come on, lets go let the others know so word can start getting out. It’s not fair of us to keep this happiness to ourselves.”

Rex shook his head with a smile as he followed Fives out of the tent, the rest of the clones also following. Soon the news that the clones were welcomed on Voss spread to the other clones, and there was much joy expressed that day. 

* * *

The ruins of Voss-Kaa were still buzzing with chatter of the alpha clones’s excitement, some of them gathering around Voss natives to ask questions and learn more about the planet they would be calling home as Qui-Gon made his way through the crowds to the medical tent where he was sure he’d find his padawan.

The Jedi found Anakin sitting on a sheet, holding Obi-Wan close. Smiling, he approached and knelt down next to the sheet, “How’s he doing?”

Anakin looked up at his former master and smiled. “He’s been resting a lot, which is what he needs. We got him a suppressant shot so he can focus on healing without worrying about a heat.”

Qui-Gon nodded, “It’ll also be good for travel. It’s been decided that the Mystics will all be split up and hidden separately so it’s harder for the Sith to recapture them all if they return. Teams of protectors and Jedi are being organized to escort each Mystic to a hiding location around Voss.”

“That sounds good. I hope this won’t be too stressful on the Mystics.”

“We’re trying to make it as easy for them as possible, but they have already been through so much. The ones I’ve seen are clearly traumatized and scared. Their elder is doing her best at leading the people, but we need to chase off the Sith for good so life here can start returning to normal and the people can start remembering what safety feels like.”

“I’m going to help as much as I can. I hate seeing these people suffer from the pain caused by our enemies.”

“I’m pretty sure you’re seen as a native at this point. No one is calling you ‘Outsider’ at all. Some call you by your name or refer to you as ‘Mystic Obi-Wan’s alpha’.” He chuckled, “So I think the natives only expect you to help as a native and not as a visitor to this planet. Don’t stretch yourself too thin, and stay close to what matters.” his gaze glanced down at the omega curled up into Anakin’s chest. “And also remember to invite your old Jedi father-figure to your wedding whenever you have it.” he added fondly.

Anakin looked back down at Obi-Wan and ran his organic hand through the omega's hair. "I won't forget to invite you. I couldn't imagine you not being at my wedding, honestly. But… I wish my mom could also be here to see it."

Qui-Gon gave a sad smile, “She’ll be there in spirit. I know she will. But still, I’m sorry she could not be there in person.”

"I know she'd be happy to see me getting married to Obi-Wan. She knew how hard it was for me to leave her."

“She wanted you to live a happy life, and I think she’d be happy to see you with your omega. To see how happy he makes you—even if you’ve been so worried recently about him.”

Anakin nodded. "I'm glad he came to Coruscant. Wouldn't have gotten to know him as well if he hadn't."

“You would have eventually...I foresaw us…” Obi-Wan’s sleep-muddled voice mumbled before he sucked in a breath and shifted, opening his eyes.

"Well hey you," The alpha said to his omega. "How are you?"

“My stomach’s feeling uneasy again...woke me up and I heard you talking about your mother.” He shrugged, “Thought I should speak up before I end up eavesdropping for too long.”

"You want to take anything for your stomach? I'm sure we can get the healers to bring something."

“Yeah, I’d like to keep what I managed to eat at lunch in my stomach this time.”

“I’ll go let a healer know for you.” Qui-Gon offered, pushing himself up and grunting as his old knees cracked and popped in protest.

“Thanks,” Anakin said as he watched his former master walk away. “I’m glad he’s around to help us.”

Yawning, Obi-Wan pushed himself up a little more. “Is this a social visit or did he bring news?”

“A bit of both. The Mystics are going to be hidden in different places on Voss so the Sith have a harder time finding them all. Each will get an interpreter and likely multiple protectors.”

“If we get to choose our hiding place...I want to go home—to my mom’s farm.”

“I think that’s a good idea. You’ll have both me and your mom around, plus I’m sure Nodin-Va, Rik-Ol, and Rak-Ta to protect you. Her farm was unharmed by the Sith when I found her, after all.”

“Farms are out scattered over the countryside. Kind of out of the way. It’d be a good place to go, I think, plus returning to the place I grew up might help me feel…safer.”

Anakin nodded. “Then to your family home we go, and maybe… it can become our home, and a future home for our kids?” The blond looked hopeful.

Obi-Wan shrugged, “I’m sure we’ll rebuild the Shrine of Healing and I’ll have to return there where I can heal the sick and injured and my visions can be interpreted and sent out to those who must know of them. But until then...yes, being back home on the farm will be nice.”

“Right, you’d have to go back to the shrine eventually… Well, I’m sure the shrine will be a good home for our kids as well.”

“It is. There’s a whole section of it dedicated to the children of all who live in the Shrine. Classrooms for their schooling, places to play and have fun, explore...sometimes their are little trips out of the Shrine where they are taken around Voss to learn more outside the Shrine and make new friends with other children. I remember having a lot of fun there myself when my father was alive.”

Anakin smiled. “Sounds like the perfect place to raise kids, actually. I can’t wait for us to have some.”

“We have a little bit of a wait, yet. That Outsider healer gave me that suppressant thing, after all.” he chuckled.

Their conversation then was put on pause when Qui-Gon came back with one of the Voss healers who gave Obi-Wan a check-over and a medicated tea to help settle his stomach.

The omega leaned back, sipping his tea slowly and closing his eyes to enjoy the flavor before opening them again.

“That suppressant won’t last very long, if you don’t think about it,” Anakin said with a smirk as he watched Obi-wan drink, ready to help the omega if he needed it.

“It’s a whole month, Anakin,but you were right, it helps me heal without the stress of being in heat prolonging it. Besides, I doubt I’d be able to get myself through my own heat with the way my arms and hands sometimes act up.”

Qui-Gon coughed, shifting a bit in discomfort.

Looking over at the older Jedi, Anakin chuckled. "Sorry, Master. We were just talking about starting our family."

“I can tell, but speaking of your heat and what you do during it so casually in front of an alpha that is not your own is…”

“Heats are a natural part of an omega’s life. On Voss we find no shame in it, so I do not care if you overhear me speak of it. Besides, you are bonded.” Obi-Wan said.

“Yes, but even my own dear Tahl had not spoken so casually about such things. I am unused to it.”

Anakin shrugged. "The Jedi aren't very open to sharing every little detail about their lives with their mates."

“Seems that is one thing they should be more open about. By my sharing it with you, you would have a better idea of what satisfies my needs once we bond and you start joining me in my heats.”

"Yeah, I suppose that would be an advantage to sharing."

The older Jedi fidgeted a little more. “Well, sure, but I’m still surprised you’d speak of such things with me around.”

Obi-Wan tilted his head and handed Anakin his cup of tea to hold when his hands started shaking again. “You are Anakin’s Jedi Master, yes? You taught him the ways of the Jedi culture and raised him. Therefore, you are like his father. If you are his father, then you are family, and I should not need to feel shy around you.”

"He's got a point." Anakin said with a smile.

"But even if you are like a son to me, I don't necessarily need to know all you do with your omega," Qui-Gon said.

“Hmm, but I haven’t mentioned anything about what we have done together.” Obi-Wan pointed out, “Just mentioned the fact that I touch myself during my heats—which should be common knowledge as all omegas who do not have an alpha or partner yet do so.”

"Yes, I just suppose that… hearing my former padawan's omega talk about it is a bit of a different situation."

“Well, at any rate, it won’t be happening at all this month because of the suppressant.” he said with a shrug, adjusting the extra sheet he’d been using as a light blanket so that his legs weren’t as tangled. “But Anakin mentioned we’re to be leaving soon to hide until the Outsider Threat is over. Will you be joining us?”

"I'm not sure if I will be joining you two, but I can try my best to be in your party when we leave."

“It’d be nice. I’d like to get to know you more, seeing as you’re my alpha’s family.”

Qui-Gon nodded. "I'll see if I can come with you two then. I'm sure Tah-Lee will be fine with it."

“How is Mystic Tah-Lee? I haven’t seen her in here at all, so I assume she’s unharmed, but she, like us all, have been through a lot.”

"She seems to be holding up, and has also taken a bit of a liking to Rex, I believe. Her original protector died in the attack on the shrine."

“Rex? Oh, one of the alphas who had come to help save us...I think I remember him from the trip back, at least the parts I was awake for. He must have made a big impression with her if she’s taking him as a protector.”

"I suppose so. It's terrible that she lost her original protector, but if she does take Rex as her new protector, I'm happy for her. She's got a lot of pressure on her shoulders right now."

“Her last main protector...he was her husband. She’s got a lot more on her shoulders than you think. Voss may not show our emotions as openly as Outsiders, but we still feel deeply. I hope she is able to take time to mourn.”

Qui-Gon's expression turned soft. "That's even worse. Losing both her protector and her husband… taking on the role of Voss' leader right now was a brave thing to do."

“The Three are gone, without our leaders, Voss look to us Mystics for guidance until we can elect new leaders. She is the elder Mystic, the one we younger Mystics look up to. It’s natural for her to take the role of Voss’ leader for the time being. But we should remind her she is not alone. She can rely on us other Mystics to help when she needs some time to herself—to process and feel her loss.”

"Plus she's got some new protectors now," Anakin added. "She's got a lot of people supporting her."

Obi-Wan nodded, taking another sip of his medicated tea with Anakin’s help before he nodded to himself, “I want to go visit her.” he decided out loud.

"Now? Are you sure you have enough energy?" the younger alpha asked, setting aside the cup of tea.

“I just woke up, Ana-alpha.” Obi-Wan teased with a new pet name, “Energy isn’t my issue. My pained feet that are still healing is the issue.”

"Yeah, so if you want to visit her, I'm gonna have to carry you."

“It would be very helpful, yes.” Obi-Wan confirmed with a nod.

"Alright then." Anakin stood up and brushed himself off, then he picked up his omega, blanket included. "Master, can you lead the way? I think you might have a better idea of where Tah-Lee would be."

“She said something about meeting with Interpreters. So I’d guess she’d be wherever they are usually gathered.” Qui-Gon shrugged, picking up the cup of tea to carefully hand it to Obi-Wan. “And that could be anywhere. I’m afraid I’m not much help.”

"Interpreters… maybe Nodin-Va will be around there. I hope he's been healing well."

“I hope so too. But he’s not being kept here in the medical tent so I assume that means he’s healed enough to be set free.”

"Maybe he's got a new prosthetic he's learning to live with." Anakin smiled. "Let's see if we can find him too, and maybe he can tell us where the other interpreters are."

“You’re my feet right now, so get stepping.” Obi-Wan agreed, kissing his cheek before taking a sip of tea.

"Away we go, my sweet omega." Anakin chuckled as he started walking around to search for either Nodin-Va or the rest of the interpreters.

Qui-Gon chuckled, watching them leave before looking at the meager start of a nest that had been set up using the few sheets they had. “Adorable couple.” he chuckled before letting a healer know that the healing Mystic was just out for some fresh air and a chat with Interpreters.

Outside, Obi-Wan took in a deep breath of air before letting it out. “Didn’t notice how stuffy it was in there until now.”

"Same. Feels good to get some fresh air. It seems like it always helps you feel a little better when you're not feeling your best." Anakin sighed happily.

“Too bad it can’t make my feet feel better.” Obi-Wan chuckled, sipping his tea again, both hands holding the cup carefully in hopes that they wouldn’t start shaking again and spill or drop hot tea all over himself, “Lets try wandering that way first.” he suggested, nodding his head in the direction he meant.

"Alright." Anakin changed his direction slightly before speaking again. "If only healing was instentsteous. We'd be a lot better off."

“Yeah. And if kisses could heal our little mini-makeout session late last night would have healed me completely.” the omega teased.

"I was still surprised you had the energy to do that, even though it didn't last long."

“I’m stubborn when I want attention from my alpha, it seems.” he chuckled, “And we kept things soft so the healers couldn’t have gotten mad if we had been caught.”

“True, though I wouldn’t have gone much further with you anyways, because you’re still healing, and there’s no way you have the energy to do more than kissing.”

“We wouldn’t have wanted to do more even if I did have the energy as we wouldn’t want to wake up or disturb the others healing in the tent.” he agreed.

“Plus we could have easily gotten caught, and I know the healers would have yelled at us.”

“Over there, I think I saw Nodin-Va.”

Anakin turned his head and looked where Obi-Wan had mentioned, and sure enough there was the Voss, leaning heavily on a walking stick but also having a brand new prosthetic leg to get used to. Smiling, the Jedi headed over to Nodi-Va, calling out his name.

Hearing the familiar voice, Nodin-Va turned and saw Anakin and Obi-Wan coming towards him. Seeing Obi-Wan again resulted in a rare smile, and he hobbled over as fast as he could to the two. “Mystic Obi-Wan, you’re back!”

“I’ve been back, but now I’m well enough to leave the medical tent for some fresh air.” Obi-Wan said with a small smile of his own, “How are you doing? Is it difficult to get used to?” he asked, glancing down at his leg.

“A little, but I’ve been managing as best as I can. Moving around is still a bit of a challenge, and I get some pain from time to time.” The Voss sighed happily. “I’m glad you’re back and safe now.”

“Not safe—not yet. I’m safe from the torture, but until the Outsiders are chased off for good, Voss isn’t safe from their greed. I’ve been told that us Mystics will be sent off to different hiding places soon…” He sighed and shifted his head to nuzzle closer to his alpha, closer to his scent and the feeling of safety, “Before capture I wouldn’t have liked that decision, but now...I’m glad for it. All I want to do is hide away someplace that feels safe with people I trust around me.”

“Well, do you still need an interpreter to keep around,” Nodin-Va asked. “Because I’d offer myself to be your interpreter still, despite having a fake leg now.”

“You’ll always be my interpreter, Nodin-Va. You don’t need legs or arms to do that, you only need your mind.” He reached out a trembling hand to place it on Nodin-Va’s shoulder with a sincere look, “I’d not want another at my side unless you chose to stop interpreting my visions, and even then, you are a close friend. You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

“Good, because I didn’t want to leave your side anyways. I doubt anyone can interpret your visions as well as I can.”

Anakin rolled his eyes at the Voss boasting his skills, but he smiled anyways. Honestly it was nice to have the Voss back around. The more people Obi-Wan had around to protect him, the better, or at least Anakin thought so. 

“I’m looking for Mystic Tah-Lee. I was told she was meeting with you Interpreters—do you know where she is?” Obi-Wan asked, moving on in their conversation.

“Yeah, she’s talking with some of the others. I’ve already talked to her, but I can take you to her.” Nodn-Va motioned for them to follow, which Anakin did, making sure he didn’t get separated from the interpreter.

Soon they came up on a larger group of interpreters who were gathered around someone. Anakin couldn't really see around all the Voss standing up, but he figured they were surrounding the old mystic. They waited until most of the interpreters dispersed, then the party of three approached Tah-Lee.

“Ani, set me down.” Obi-Wan requested, and waited as he was carefully set down on some fallen stone from a building, using it as a seat. He then reached over to take the older Mystic’s hands in his.

“I heard of your loss.” he muttered and watched as she looked up at him, and the hint of tears that started to gather in her gentle brown eyes.

“Now isn’t—”

“You need to allow yourself the time to grieve, Tah-Lee.” Obi-Wan shook his head, “I know Voss looks to the Mystics for leadership right now, and that as our elder, the responsibility falls mostly to you—but not completely on you. It’s not selfish to leave some of the work to the rest of us so that you can process your loss. It’s okay to cry. He was your husband and the father to your child. You need to remember to take care of your emotional needs…”

She took a shaky breath and brought his hands up, leaning her forehead on their knuckles.

“Voss needs us to be strong and…”

“Part of being here for Voss is to also be here for ourselves.”

“Our time among the Stars...with the enemy Outsiders...it’s changed us all. Our emotions are harder to control, and—we need to be strong for those looking up to us and—”

“They will understand, Voss help Voss, and emotional or not, we Mystics are still Voss. It’s okay to grieve. It’s okay to cry...It’s okay to seek out comfort or hide…”

Tah-Lee was silent a long moment before breathing in, “...You grew up into a wise Mystic far too quickly, young one...your father would be proud.”

“You will allow yourself time?”

“I will allow myself time.” she nodded, “I will go now to find a quiet place, and a veil to wear if possible. Thank you, Mystic Obi-Wan.” she said, leaning forward to kiss his forehead before getting up to go do as she promised.

Anakin helped the old Mystic to her feet and made sure she was stable before watching her walk away. He sat down next to his omega with a sigh, Nodin-Va sitting on the other side of Obi-Wan.

“Heartbreaking to see her struggling to keep her mourning in check,” Anakin said. “But at least she knows now she’s not alone in this.”

Obi-Wan nodded, “I can only imagine her pain right now. She’s had a lifetime with her husband, and I’ve only had you for a handful of months. I’d be devastated if I lost you, Alpha.” he said, leaning into Anakin’s side. “It’s good for her to take time to herself right now.”

He reached over to where he’d set his tea before taking Tah-Lee’s hands, pausing when he realized he’d finished the warm drink. “Oh, my tea’s gone…”

“I can get you more if you want,” the alpha said, nuzzling the top of Obi-Wan’s head.

“Yes, I’d like that—but without the medication to settle my stomach. It’s already feeling much better. I think one more cup of tea in the fresh air will be enough before going back in for some more rest—and I think that Outsider healer wants to do another treatment on my hands and arms.”

“I believe that was a plan, yeah. I’ll be right back.” Anakin stood back up, but not before grabbing the cup and stealing a kiss from the omega. Then he turned on his heels and went back to the medical tent they had been in before.

Nodin-Va waited until Anakin was out of hearing range before he sighed and looked back at his Mystic. “Anakin is a good man. I’m…I’m glad he was around to save you from those Outsiders.”

“I have to admit,” Obi-Wan said, eyes lingering on the tent corner Anakin had disappeared behind, “Even after we met and started getting to know each other, I never expected that it was possible to fall this deeply into love with him. I feel like I can finally understand the emotion some of our oldest songs and poems are about.”

“Love is pretty powerful, especially if it’s true love. I see that from him when he looks at you. As much as I used to not like it, I’ve learned to step back and let you two happen.” The Voss scoffed a little at himself. “I should have told myself long before he came here that you and I weren’t meant to be together. I wouldn’t have had so much of an issue when he finally came to Voss.”

“You’ve always been there taking care of me, you just weren't ready to share that responsibility.” Obi-Wan said, leaning into his friends’ side, “Though lying to him about some sort of spell that would keep him out of my bedroom was a bit much.”

Nodin-Va snorted. “I knew he was going to mate with you since the first day on the journey back to Voss from Coruscant. I prolonged it as long as I could… So he told you about my little spell lie?”

“He had questions about it. It made him worry more for my safety than bothered him that he couldn’t come cuddle me.”

“He fell for it though.” The Voss chuckled. “He’s more gullible than I imagined he was. But he’s protective and caring, and he’d do anything to make sure you’re safe in his arms.”

Nodin-Va looked down at his best friend. “I think I finally feel comfortable with handing you off to him in terms of who protects him the most when you two get married.”

“He’s gullible because he knows very little about Voss. Something like that won’t work on him once he lives here a while and learns what sorts of things we are capable of. So it’s good you got that out of your system before the wedding.” Obi-Wan chuckled, “But I’ll admit, it was a bit amusing…”

The Voss laughed. “I’m glad you found it amusing as well.”

“I love him deeply, but that doesn’t mean I can’t tease him a bit or appreciate it when he falls for a good prank.”

“Silly outsider.” When his laughter had calmed down, Nodin-Va sighed. “Yeah… I think I’m ready to fully trust him now.”

“Good. I’ll need my best friend to trust my alpha...especially when we’re out hiding.”

“I trust him, and I trust you. I know things will be okay with him protecting you.”

Obi-Wan fiddled a little nervously with the hem of his sleeve, “Would you object if I said I wanted to marry and bond with Anakin as soon as I can; instead of waiting for after the Outsider Threat is over?” he asked.

“No, in fact, I think I might encourage it. The sooner you can be more under his protection, the better.”

“Good...one of the—one of the Outsiders wanted to force his mark on me...and he used his...alphaness to control me, and I don’t want any of that to happen again, and once bonded, only my bonded alpha could control me like that, and I know Anakin would never.”

Nodin-Va nodded. “As soon as possible, you two need to get married and bonded.”

“As soon as the healers say I can handle what all it entails...and I’ll have to ask to see about if the Suppressant thing I was given should be left alone or if I can safely induce my heat while it’s still in my system. But as soon as we know it’s safe for me to bond, then I want to bond with my alpha. I’ll feel a little safer that way. I think Anakin would feel better about things, too. Knowing that another alpha wouldn’t be able to take advantage of me if we get separated again.”

“I don’t want you with another alpha. Knowing how you almost belonged to another makes me sick to my stomach.” Nodin-Va took one of Obi-Wan’s hands into his and squeezed it. “As soon as possible, promise me.”

“I haven’t talked much to Anakin about it yet, but I promise, as soon as we are able, I’ll marry him and let him bond me.”

“Thank you. It’s too dangerous now for something like bonding to be set to the side.” The Voss let go of the omega’s hand as Anakin came back into view with a full cup of unmedicated tea.

“I’ll talk to him about it soon...when we have some time alone.” Obi-Wan promised before smiling at is alpha and reaching out to take the cup, glad when Anakin held his shaking hands and guided them back close to his body so the tea wouldn’t spill.

* * *

To be continued...


	20. Chapter 20

Obi-Wan sat in the back seat of a speeder, sheets bundled up around him in a miniature nest as supplies were loaded into the trunk, and groups of protectors were being finalized for each Mystic. Jedi healers were also added to the groups for the Mystics who were still in need of medical attention, his group included.

“Your mother will meet us there.” Nodin-Va said from where he sat in the front passenger seat, his lack of balance with his new leg making him more of a hindrance than a help with packing.

“Good. I—definitely could use some mom time.” Obi-Wan nodded, watching Anakin carry a box of medical supplies as directed by Healer Che.

The box was placed in the trunk, and the lid closed before Anakin, Qui-Gon, Rik-Ol, and Rak-Ta started discussing who would get to drive, and who would get stuck in the back seat with the two love-birds, as it seemed obvious that Ankin would sit in back with Obi-Wan, even before the young alpha tried to say anything.

In the end, it was decided that Qui-Gon would drive, and the two gormak would be in the back with the alpha and omega couple, one on each side of the couple. Anakin couldn’t find it in himself to be upset that Rik-Ol and Rak-Ta would be sitting with him and Obi-Wan. It was just something that had to happen, and both gormak seemed to not care that Anakin had to cuddle just a little closer to Obi-Wan to allow more room. Anakin ended up with Obi-Wan almost in his lap, his head buried in the omega’s neck and inhaling deeply with every breath he took.

“Do I smell nice?” Obi-Wan asked a while into the ride south from Voss-Ka, the long braid he had his hair in fluttering back in the wind.

“You always do,” Anakin said, smiling. “Just admiring your scent a little more now… just because…”

“Are you anxious about traveling over open land?” Obi-Wan asked, combing his fingers through the mess of curls that were tangling in the wind.

“More scared for your safety. I made a mistake before, and that took you away from me. I can’t let that happen again.”

“I’m here, in your lap with your arms holding me close. We’ll get to the farm and settle in, and as soon as Outsider Che says it’s okay, we can get married and your mark can be on my neck protecting me even when you aren’t holding me close.” he promised, nuzzling his hair.

“You think just a small wedding with our friends and your mom will be good enough for our wedding?”

“All we need are those closest to us to be there and support us as we become one united couple in life.” Obi-Wan promised, “I want to be yours—officially.”

“I want that too…” Anakin sighed and kissed Obi-Wan’s neck. “How hard is that stuff to make? The stuff that makes our heat and rut cycles synch up with each other?”

“I have no idea, honestly. Not my area of expertise.” He chuckled, “But the nectar is made into a wine, which keeps very well. My mom has some left over from her own wedding to my father—he was Voss so he couldn’t go into rut, so only she drank it to go into heat for him...but I’m sure she’ll let us dust off the bottle and use it for our own wedding.”

“I like that, using the bottle she had used at her wedding. Sentimental.” Anakin smiled and sat up to look at Obi-Wan. “I’m glad we’re getting to this point. Not because I’m dying to spend a heat with you…okay, not  _ entirely _ . But we get to be married to each other and be officially bonded together. That makes me happy, to know that despite me being a Jedi, I get to have someone I love married  _ and  _ bonded to me. That I get to spend the rest of my life with you.”

“No more sandy deserts, just loving kisses.” Obi-Wan promised, dipping his head down to claim his lips in a soft, yet passionate kiss.

Anakin hummed happily into the kiss, wrapping his arms tighter around Obi-Wan. By that point Obi-Wan was fully in his alpha’s lap, and Anakin knew it wasn’t the safest way to travel, but hey, he had his omega willingly in his lap, and what alpha didn’t like it when their omega was in their lap and kissing them?

“Young Lovers.” Che sighed from the font seat between Qui-Gon and Nodin-Va, running a hand down along one of her lekku, “Never can keep their hands off each other.”

“To be fair, they are getting married as soon as you clear Obi-Wan,” Qui-Gon said to the healer. “Can’t hold it against them for wanting to touch each other every minute of the day.”

“I’m a healer, of course I can. That young omega is my patient. It’s my job to make sure he heals properly and gets plenty of rest.”

“Anakin is a good boy. He won’t push Obi-Wan further than he can handle.”

“Mhmm, and how many times did you have to drag him into my healer’s halls to be looked at because he pushed things too far?” she asked, though she held a teasing tone.

“Anakin was a reckless young man, I won’t deny that. But he’s gotten better. Sure, he’s not completely good at doing the right thing in the moment, but with his omega, he’s mellowed out, filled into his alpha role.”

“I suppose you alphas have always claimed that finding the right omega balances you out, and vice-versa. But that’s something I wouldn’t understand.” she shrugged. Twi’leks didn’t have secondary genders, after all. A fact that many of her kind were glad for given their history of enslavement across the Galaxy before it was outlawed.

“Still, if they get too handsy back there I will have you pull over so I can give that padawan of yours an earful.”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure the two Voss in the back will keep them from getting too far.” Qui-Gon glanced back and chuckled upon seeing that the alpha and omega were awkwardly trying to sit next to each other again rather than on each other. Clearly one of the gormak had cleared his throat to tell them to stop.

“Good.” she said, keeping her eyes forward as they sped on down the road.

* * *

The farm was quiet, and it was a rather enjoyable place when one just sat outside in the cool of the evening and watch the last rays of sunlight fade away and give light to the many stars in the universe. Night on any farm was magical, especially with such a clear view of the stars, far away from the light pollution of cities and towns. There was just something different about life in the country that piqued Anakin’s interest, and perhaps it was because he had lived in a town or an ecumenopolis, neither of which gave him the view of the sky that he had while sitting on the front steps of Cera-Rai’s farm house a few nights after they had arrived.

Sighing gently to himself, Anakin kept his eyes trained to the stars, trying to identify stars and think of the planets orbiting those stars he had been to. He had been to more places than he could count, but really the only place he had truly felt at home after becoming a Jedi was Voss. Over the weeks he had been there, he had picked up on the little changes in his name the natives had called him. He really wasn’t Outsider Skywalker anymore, and he wasn’t even just Skywalker. He was simply Anakin, or Mystic Obi-Wan’s alpha, both of which made him happy to hear. To know that he had been accepted by the natives as one of their own had made him want to jump around and shout with joy. Of course, he wasn’t going to, because he was an adult alpha and knew how to properly act, but that didn’t stop him from letting out a little happy noise sitting there by himself, looking up at the stars.

Really the only way he could be happier in that moment was if Obi-Wan was with him, but mostly everyone was asleep in the house. He had managed to sneak out from the bed he shared with Obi-Wan simply because he couldn’t sleep and really wanted to look up at the stars. 

“A beautiful night.” Cera-Rei said, sitting down next to him with a blanket over her shoulders and two cups of tea in her hands, offering one to the alpha.

Anakin took one of the cups and sipped out of it. "Sure is. I don't think I've seen nights more beautiful than here on Voss."

“I have nothing to compare them to, so I can’t really say if I’d agree with you.” she chuckled, sipping her drink with a sigh, “Thank you...for bringing me my boy home from up there.” she nodded to the stars.

"You're welcome. I'm glad I was able to find him before something terrible happened. I don't know what I would have done with myself if we had waited just a little longer to go get him and the other Mystics."

“Driven yourself even crazier with worry, no doubt. You show your emotions so openly, I’m sure everyone would have noticed.” She chuckled and reached up to fix a stray curl, pushing it back into the others where the moisture from Anakin’s shower kept them in place.

Anakin sighed and looked down from the stars. "I'm still not over the fact that the alpha that took him tried to claim him. Yeah, Obi-Wan and I aren't bonded yet, but my scent had to have been all over him. There's no way that other alpha didn't smell me."

“I have noticed that Obi-Wan has been rather insistent about having your scent on him lately. Not just with rubbing on you when you two are together, but also with wearing your clothes instead of his own when you’re out helping around the farm and he thinks no one would see.”

"So that's where some of my shirts have gone." Anakin chuckled. "Well he can have some, but I only have so many Voss outfits."

“Don’t be too hard on him if you end up without any shirts at all...it’s in an omega’s nature to take things that smell of their alpha—especially for heats and when they have an increased need to feel safe.”

"I mean I won't stop him from taking my things. My things are his things." The alpha chuckled upon reminiscing. "He wore one of my shirts yesterday, probably the cutest I've seen him. Makes me realize just how much bigger than him I am."

“My husband was the same way—of course I’m a tiny omega and he was a gigantic Voss.” she chuckled, “His shirt was a full dress on me.”

"I bet it was his favourite look on you." Anakin smiled at the mother of his omega. "It's my favourite look on Obi-Wan, anyways."

“I hope he knows that. He’d do it more often if he knew you liked it.” she chuckled, “By the way, I managed to find the nectar wine today down in the cellar. So that’s one less thing to worry about once Obi gets the medical clear to bond.”

"Fantastic. I think we're both happy that you have some left from your wedding. I imagine the process of making it is long, and if it is, we don't have the time."

“Long and expensive.” she nodded, “That’s why I kept the leftover wine from my wedding—just in case any of our children were born Little Voss and presented as either omega or alpha. There is enough for your wedding, but not quite for a third if both have secondary genders. But we have enough for you and Obi, so that’s what matters.” she sighed and sipped her drink again, “Are you two thinking of giving me a grandbaby or two?”

"We discussed it once long before he was kidnapped, and he mentioned maybe having one but waiting. After he was rescued and told me how he almost got bonded to that Sith, we talked again, and he wants to have several, so I think it's safe to say we'll be having at least two or three kids."

“Wonderful. I miss cuddling little ones.” she said, more cheer in her tone than he’d heard from any Voss native during a casual chat. “And I know now that if I start knitting cute little baby things, it won’t be for not. Wonderful boy.” she pinched his cheek lovingly.

Anakin flushed. "I don't know how soon we'll be planning on having kids."

“Yarn doesn’t go bad.” she out-right laughed, “I could make a cute bonnet now and it’d still be just as warm and cute in five years if that’s how long it takes.”

"I guess no one is stopping you from making baby clothes. I certainly won't. We won't have to spend so much on clothes in the future as well."

“Babies grow fast. It’s better to make them clothes than to buy them. Takes more time and skill, but it saves money for all the other expenses that come with having little ones.”

Anakin nodded. "Plus we can reuse the baby clothes. All around, it's a win-win situation."

“Exactly. Plus they are adorable.” she chuckled, “We Voss natives may hide our emotions in most settings, but when it comes to little ones new to the world, we can’t help but coo.”

“That’s good to know. And I think this is the most emotion I’ve ever seen from Nodin-Va, by the way. He smiles a lot now, and I don’t know if that’s just because of stress from the war or he’s actually really happy.”

“I’ve seen much change in those who have been touched most directly by this war. Those who have seen things or survived things...and Nodin-Va lost a leg. Voss may never be the same again after all this, but...that may not be a bad thing—so long as we win and the Outsider threat doesn’t.”

“I’m going to make sure we win. It’s too important to me. I want to protect… well, my home. Voss is my home, and I won’t let the Sith take over my home when they are unwelcome.”

"I'm glad you see Voss as your home already. That wi—" Her words were cut off abruptly with the sound of a terrified scream that cut through the night's silence. Cera-Rai dropped her tea, the delicate cup breaking as it hit the wooden step between her feet and the cooling liquid splashing into puddles. "Obi!"

On her feet already, she ran into the house, straight to her son's bedroom door which was already open, Nodin-Va having gotten there first with the others staying in the house crowding the door behind him. The Voss didn't even have his prosthetic leg on, he'd just been closest and had hopped his way towards the scream, and now had Rik-Ol holding his arm to help support and balance him.

Obi-Wan sat up in his bed, eyes wide and blood trickling out his nose and the corner of his lips.

Che pushed past the much larger males crowding the door and hurried over to him, scanning him with the Force to find the source of the bleeding as the omega sat silently, trembling.

Anakin followed closely behind Cera-Rai, heart beating fast as he feared for his omega. Upon seeing the redhead with blood pouring out of his nose and mouth, the alpha struggled to push forward, getting close to the bed and reaching out slowly. “Obi, are you alright?” he asked, trying to hide his worried tone and failing.

"Cold," Obi-Wan croaked out, holding himself tighter, "and darkness so thick it choked me…I was drowning…my ears full of laughter triumphant…"

Growing more worried, Anakin looked at the healer. “He’s not losing too much blood, is he?”

“It’s...an alarming amount.” she admitted. “But it’s slowing. It’s not life threatening just—worrisome.”

“Good.” The alpha turned his attention back to his mate. “Obi, did you have a vision? Or was it a nightmare?”

“A nightmare wouldn’t cause bleeding like this.” Che said.

“Neither would a vision.” Nodin-Va admitted. “This had to have been—something else.”

"I—I think it was Sel-Makor." Obi-Wan whispered as if he feared speaking the name out loud.

"Impossible! That was defeated…destroyed…locked away harmless… The Nightmare lands have been healing, the madness is gone…"Rak-Ta said.

"I don't understand, who or what is Sel-Makor?" Qui-Gon asked.

"An evil darkness set to devour our world. It tried to destroy all of Voss long ago, growing in power as Voss and Gormak fought a civil war neither truly understood. Last time Outsiders came to Voss, a Sith Outsider had tried to twist the madness even darker, more dangerous, but Mystic Valen-Da foresaw it and manipulated the Outsider so that the legendary Tala-Reh could defeat Sel-Makor, saving all of Voss. At least, that's what the ballads say is what happened." Nodin-Va said, sitting down on a chair.

"It is…possible that this new war, so much death and destruction, was enough to reawaken Sel-Makor…" Rik-Ol considered before the communicator in Qui-Gon's pocket chirped and he stepped away to take the call.

“How did Tala-Reh defeat Sel-Makor?” Anakin asked, treading lightly on the subject. “Did they use the Force to seal it away or something?”

“We don’t know. The Ballad only says she descended down into Sel-Makor’s depths...she never came back out.”Rak-Ta said.

“So somehow she sacrificed herself. And after that, Sel-Makor just stopped? Without any other prompt?”

“We haven’t had any issue at all since then. No madness corrupting the minds of those who entered the Nightmare Lands, no abominations created from the twisted bodies of animals that entered...no darkness threatening to overtake Voss as the Nightmare lands grew over time like a virus on our planet.” Nodin-Va affirmed. 

Anakin nodded slowly, reaching to grab Obi-Wan’s hand and squeeze it. “So… do you think Sel-Makor is… taking over Obi-Wan, then?”

“Hard to say...Mystics are closely tied to Voss, closer than any other Voss citizens. Their gifts in healing and foresight are given to them by Voss itself, and Sel-Makor is a darkness born within Voss…”

Qui-Gon came back in with a troubling look, "It seems our Mystic isn't the only one that has had this strange vision thing—all the Mystics have. And all of them have mentioned this Sel-Makor."

“This doesn’t sound good at all.” Anakin sighed as he rubbed his thumb over Obi-Wan’s knuckles. “Sel-Makor returning to Voss won’t be helping our situation at all, and I’m sure the Sith will use its power to take what they want. We can’t let that happen.”

“Two threats at once...we barely got through the first wave of dealing with the Outsider threat. We lost so many lives…” Nodin-Va said, “Is there a plan in the works to deal with all this?”

Qui-Gon shrugged, “Elder Mystic Tah-Lee said she would be meditating on the issue to see if a vision would come to her and give a direction of what to do and expect.”

“Maybe we should create a team that is willing to go investigate Sel-Makor,” Anakin suggested. “I know it’s not ideal, but it might be our best option to figure out what’s going on.”

“Voss do not like to enter the Nightmare lands, even after Sel-Makor’s defeat. Finding volunteers will not be easy unless there is a Mystic’s vision.” Cera-Rai said, moving in with a damp cloth to clean Obi-Wan’s face up a little.

Anakin moved back to let the mother do what she wanted. “So do we just wait this out then? Wait for a vision from a mystic to come and give us an idea of what to do? Because I don’t like the idea of just sitting around and waiting while this darkness consumes my home.”

“For now, we wait. Mystic Tah-Lee will make the choice on what to do if a vision does not come. It will not be too long a wait.” Nodin-Va said, “Trust me, Voss does what is best for Voss—always. Time is just needed right now.

The alpha nodded, understanding that he needed to just wait. “Right… we need time to recover from the last battle still. The more time we have to recover, the better.”

Most everyone in the room nodded or made sounds of agreement. When it was clear that Obi-Wan wasn’t in immediate danger, the two gormak and Nodin-Va left the room, allowing their Mystic more breathing room after such a traumatic phantasm. 

“I’ve done what I can for him, he needs rest, and I’m putting him on a special diet to make sure he recovers from the bloodloss quickly.” Healer Che said standing up and looking at Anakin, “He shouldn’t be left alone, stay with him, and call for me if anything happens.”

“I’ll help get him cleaned up and into fresh clothes before you cuddle up with him.” Cera-Rai said, setting the damp cloth aside.

“Good. Everyone who is not mother or mate, please leave.” Che said, starting to shoo everyone who was still lingering.

Anakin sighed as the room cleared out, moving closer to Obi-Wan again and kissing his forehead. “How are you feeling?” he asked softly as Cer-Rai cleaned up her son.

“Weak...scared…” He looked up at Anakin with wide eyes, “I  _ felt _ that vision more than saw it, Anakin.”

“It’s okay, I’m here now, and you don’t have to feel anything but me now.” Anakin started crooning lowly to soothe his omega.

It worked, Obi-Wan’s stiff body starting to melt into the alpha as his mother slipped his soiled shirt off him and quickly cleaned his neck and chest before slipping one of Anakin’s clean shirts over his head and kissing his cheek.

“Good boy, just relax with your alpha. He’ll keep you nice and safe.” she soothed before gathering the dirty cloth and clothes to take them out to be soaked so a stain wouldn’t set. She closed the door behind her, leaving the two alone.

With Cera-Rai gone, Anakin crawled into Obi-Wan’s bed and curled up around him, scenting his neck several times while continuing to croon softly. “I love you a lot, you know,” he said after a bit.

“I love you too.” Obi-Wan said, sucking in a breath and letting it out slowly as he let himself relax fully in Anakin’s arms, glad for the scent of his alpha surrounding him.

“This’ll all be over before you know it. We’ll be married and bonded, and life will be happy again. Just you wait and see.” The alpha nuzzled his mate while exhaling.

The omega let out a whine and turned to hide in his alpha, “I want that all now...no waiting…”

“I know you do. I want it all now too. We will get married soon, though. Just a little longer of healing, and then you and I can officially bond.”

“I hope nothing happens that can delay it...I just want a nice bonding heat with you, Alpha.”

“I want that too.” Anakin let out a little groan and nuzzled his mate. “Your mom told me she found the wine from her wedding. She said there’s enough for you and I to use for our wedding, but there might not be enough for a wedding of our children’s.”

Obi-Wan chuckled, “She’s already planning the wedding of our future baby? Oh that silly woman I lovingly call my mother.” 

He sighed and stretched his legs out before grabbing a pillow to move it to a better spot in the nest he’d been fiddling around with for the weeks they had been at the farm. “Outsider Che has said she thinks I’ll be ready in another week or so, but that was before tonight’s incident so hopefully that doesn’t make us wait longer.”

“Knowing her, she might, but we’ll make it work.” Anakin rested his hand on Obi-Wan’s stomach with a smile. “We’re so close. Soon I get to mark that pretty neck of yours.”

Obi-Wan shivered and glanced at the closed door before shifting to fully face Anakin, his lips claiming his as they fell back into the nest, “You can practice if you want.”

“I think I will,” Anakin said with a bit of a growl to his voice as he pushed his mate onto his back, pinning him down by the shoulders.

“Yay.” Obi-Wan cheered in a very small voice that was frankly adorable.

The alpha chuckled before attacking Obi-Wan’s neck with kisses and little love bites. He was happy to distract his mate away from the danger looming on the horizon, but the happiness would only last so long. Anakin was determined to make it last as long as possible.

* * *

A streak of light flashed across the sky over the Nightmare lands before it crashed into the old ruins, a red-skinned, yellow-eyed Sith pulling himself from the wreckage of the small escape pod that in all rights should not have made it all the way to Voss.

He lay on the ground, panting as he took in fresh air—the pod having run out of a fresh air supply before he entered Voss' atmosphere. Once his head stopped spinning, he pushed himself up and looked around, tilting his head as  _ something _ called to him.

* * *

To be continued...


	21. Chapter 21

It took some convincing to finally get Obi-Wan cleared for any physically straining activities, but Che finally gave her word, and Anakin and Obi-Wan couldn’t have been happier. They started planning almost right away, and within a week, their ceremony was planned out.

Anakin was equally excited and nervous for the wedding. It was a new culture, and he had been brushed up on the rituals that were included in a Voss wedding, but he still felt that he was going to somehow mess everything up and ruin his own wedding. Of course, it was an irrational fear, because Cera-Rai and Nodin-Va had both made sure he knew his lines well and what to do when it came to specific parts of the ritual. There was a lot to memorize, but Anakin thought he had a good grip on it all. Now if only his outfit would cooperate.

His clothes for the ceremony were made from those Cera-Rai’s husband had worn at their wedding. The woman had graciously altered the outfit to fit the alpha, and her work turned out magnificent. Anakin loved the dark blue against his skin, and he looked damn good, but the collar and shoulders kept giving him fits. He hoped it wasn’t because Cera-Rai hadn’t gotten the fit exactly right, even though she had taken measurements.

“Should I find Cera-Rai for you to see if there is a quick way to fix it?” Qui-Gon asked from across the room where he was making sure Anakin’s boots were shined properly.

“Maybe. I know this is a small ceremony, but I mean, it’s not every day you get married. Almost everything has to be perfect.” Anakin sighed and turned to look at his former master.

“It’s not wrong to want it perfect, no matter how big or small the wedding—or how fast these clothes will hit the floor.” the Jedi said with a knowing chuckle. “Work on trying to tame your curls, I’ll get the tailor in here for the issue.” 

Anakin rolled his eyes as he turned back towards the mirror, smirking. Yeah, he was thinking about how fast he was going to take off his clothes, but that was for later. Now, yes, he did have to tame his hair. There was a brief moment where he wished his own mother was there to fix his hair, and he just stared at his reflection for a while as he tried to make some sort of contact with his dead mother through the Force. Of course he got nothing, which made his heart ache more, but he knew his mother was watching from somewhere, and she was probably smiling wide.

There was a small knock on the door before Cera-Rai poked her head in, “I heard there was a small issue in need of a needle and thread?”

“Yeah, my collar is loose, and the shoulders are still a little big,” Anakin said as he turned toward the woman, wiping his eyes.

She gave a comforting smile, saying nothing about his tears, “Lets see…” She fiddled with the collar a bit before placing some pins and having him remove the shirt. Then she sat down with a needle and thread to fix the issue best she could in such a short time. The sleeves were a bit much to fix quickly, but the collar was easy.

“Thanks for this, by the way. You didn’t have to change your husband’s wedding clothes to fit me, but… I really appreciate it.” He paused for a minute. “Sorry about being an emotional mess…”

“Oh, sweet alpha, my husband would have loved to see you wear his wedding clothes when you marry our son. And it’s only natural for you to be emotional, it’s your wedding day. You’re bursting with happiness but...also missing your own mother, I imagine.” she paused, tying off her stitches before moving to the other side of the collar, “I could never replace her, but...if you’d like a mother’s touch helping you get ready, I’d be happy to help. Obi’s all set and waiting, so he doesn’t need me back to finish his hair or anything.”

“I would like that, yeah…I won’t pretend that today isn’t hard for me to not have my mom around. I miss her like crazy.” Anakin sighed and wiped his eyes again. “It’s always hard to lose someone you love like crazy. I hope I don’t have to go through losing Obi any time soon. With everything that’s been happening recently, I worry so much for him.”

“You’ll be right there by his side the whole time, making sure you don’t lose him.” she reassured him, “In no time at all you’ll be his husband, his neck will have your mark, and you can finally share a first heat together. You’ll have a full week of nothing but sharing a nest together—alone. We have made sure there’s plenty of food and water in his childhood bedroom for the two of you during the week, and the only reason you’ll need to come out of the room would be to use the refresher. The rest of us are set to spend as much time outside as possible to leave you two newlyweds to your bonding heat.”

She tied off her second row of stitches, clipped the thread tails short and handed him back the top, “Try it now.”

Anakin tried the top on once more, and he smiled through his tears. “Much better, thank you. Um… would it be too much for me to ask you for a hug?”

“Of course not, sweet alpha...you’re soon to officially be my son-in-law soon, after all. Come here.” she pulled him down, cradling him as only a mother could do as she pressed her lips to the top of his head.

The alpha sighed happily, crooning slightly as a sign of thanks to Cera-Rai. Eventually he pulled back, his eyes not as red as before. “Thank you again. I appreciate all you’ve done for me.”

“Of course, dear.” she purred softly, “Now, lets see what we can do about those curls.”

“Do your best.”

Before long Anakin was looking presentable, and arguably the most handsome he had ever looked. At least he was satisfied with how he looked. “Okay, I think I’m ready finally.”

“Alright, I’ll go get Obi. Your father will escort you to the ceremonial fire.”

She hurried out again and Qui-Gon returned with Anakin’s boots.

“Ready to go, Padawan?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Anakin smiled. “She called you my dad, by the way.”

“Oh really?” he handed Anakin the boots to slip on, “Well, I never had the chance to be a father with Tahl, but any man would be proud to call you his son.” he smiled.

“As far as I’m concerned, you are my dad.” Anakin laughed as he slipped the boots on. “Alright, I think that was all I needed to wear. Unless there’s a flower crown I’m required to wear that I didn’t get the memo of.”

“No, I think that is for the omega side. Compliments the natural omegan scent.” he chuckled, linking their arms simply because he felt like walking his padawan-son to his wedding that way.

“Ah, well I’m sure Obi-Wan would look better in the flowers than I would. A big alpha doesn’t exactly look dainty or delicate in flowers. Just dumb.”

“Unless that alpha’s omega or children decorate them in flowers. Only exception.” Qui-Gon said knowingly, “So, you know...if you end up with little ones running around, you let them make you as flowery as they want.”

“Of course. If my mate wants me to wear flowers, I wear flowers.” Anakin hesitated when he saw where the fire was to be. A little flutter in his stomach made him smile more. “This is it…”

“Yes, this is it. Need me to say something awkwardly worded in attempt to make you less nervous with the side effect of making you more nervous, or are you good?”

Anakin chuckled. “I think… I think I’m good.” He turned and hugged the man who had been his father figure since he joined the Jedi order.

“Alright, then I’ll go take my seat with the others.” Qui-Gon paused with a hand on his shoulder and a proud look in his eyes before he pulled away and found a spot to sit next to Nodin-Va.

“You look very Voss.” Obi-Wan said, approaching him with a gentle smile, wearing soft, silky robes in an ivory hue, little blue flowers embroidered along the hems. His hair was pulled up in a bun similar to what it was when they first met, only with little blue flowers tucked into the braids.from his ears hung sparkling earrings of some sort of precious gemstone that matched his eyes perfectly. His face even supported the makeup that had been missing for weeks since they had to flee the Shrine of Healing.

“You look beautiful,” Anakin said, a tender look in his eyes as he brought a hand up to cup Obi-Wan’s cheek.

Obi-Wan smiled, tilting his head into the touch, “Are you ready to begin our oaths, my Alpha?”

“More than ready,” Anakin replied, his smile only growing bigger.

“Then we will begin.” Obi-Wan took his alpha’s arm and led him over to the ceremonial fire and turned to face him, looking up lovingly into Anakin’s eyes. “You who have no family come to join the family of Cera-Rai who birthed Obi-Wan under the prophecy of ten thousand seeds. You come to bind yourself to a son of Voss, we are children, will you become Voss with me?”

"I will become Voss with you, a child no longer."

“Will you embrace the traditions of our people? Will you walk with the Voss to our destiny?”

"I will walk the thousand year path, so long as you are beside me." Anakin smiled and reached a hand forward. "Obi-Wan, will you pledge your dreams? Pour your life into my cupped hands as I will for you?"

“I would have no other.” Obi-Wan said gently, unable to stop himself from stepping just a little closer to his alpha. 

"Then we walk before the flame." Anakin bowed slightly, watching Obi-Wan do the same before guiding him over to the prepared fire. 

They bowed once more, this time towards the flame, then they knelt on the ground. They performed a series of hand gestures, Anakin recognizing the familiar hum of the Force intertwined with the gestures. Once that was done, they both stood and offered their energies to the flame, which made it burn brighter and bigger.

“So long as prophecy allows, we are one.” Obi-Wan said before his lips twitched up into an amused smile, “Only the word of a Mystic, guided by a vision, will break our bond.”

He turned as Cera-Rai moved over to her son, handing him a goblet that looked to be made of silver. A pattern of flowers decorating the lip and base. “You are my husband and alpha, I offer you my heat.” he said after turning back to Anakin, raising the goblet to his lips and drinking down half the wine before offering it to the alpha, his cheeks flushing quickly as the nectar settled in his stomach, already starting to take effect to coax his body towards heat.

Anakin took the goblet and smiled down at his mate. "You are my husband and omega, I offer you my rut." He drank the rest of the wine, then giggled a little at how giddy he felt.

Cera-Rai took the goblet from him again and whispered, “The ceremony is over now. Take your omega to the nest before his legs give out.”

The alpha's gaze turned a bit darker on his mate, in the good way. The nectar was already working hard, and Anakin could feel his rut coming on strong. So knowing what he had to do, he grabbed Obi-Wan's wrist and guided him back to their nest, hidden away in the room farthest back in the farm house. They wouldn't be disturbed there until the bonding heat was over. 

When they got into the room, and Anakin set Obi-Wan down in the nest, the alpha locked the door to the room, and almost instantly he took his top off. His gaze was focused and sharp, intense as he looked at the beautiful omega that belonged to  _ him _ .

Obi-Wan’s face was flushed and he was already shifting around like he  _ needed _ something to make him comfortable. “Alpha…” he spoke for the first time since drinking the wine, his voice laced with his lustful needs. A pale hand shifted over his hip and stomach to the tie that held his airy robes in place, tugging at it to loosen them and allow them to fall from his shoulders, showing the complete  _ lack _ of anything worn underneath.

A low growl escaped Anakin's throat as he moved closer. This moment he had waited on for so long, and now that Obi-Wan was falling into heat, Anakin felt his alpha side go absolutely nuts. Only a handful of times had Anakin seen Obi-Wan in heat, but this time was different. This time he got to stay, and he got to claim Obi-Wan as his own officially.

“Alpha…” Obi-Wan repeated, the tone coaxing Anakin coser yet as the omega parted his legs and the sweet scent of slick filled the room, mixing with the already strong scent of omega in heat. It was the perfect mixture of scents to drive any alpha crazy with need. Blue eyes looked up at him, waiting obediently and submissively like a good omega, waiting for the order to get into a desired position, to present himself to his alpha.

"Omega," the alpha growled softly, stepping closer until he could reach out and stroke Obi-Wan's face. "You smell so good," he said barely above a whisper.

The omega purred under the praise, his arms moving to slide his hands up along Anakin’s chest and shoulders as he hooked one leg around his waist.

The alpha groaned at the leg wrapping around him, one hand shooting out to grab the thigh on that leg. Anakin's eyes had closed for a moment, but when he opened them again, his intense gaze returned to Obi-Wan, and then he was moving to pin Obi-Wan down and kiss him fiercely, unable to hold back any longer.

The omega embrace the kiss fully, holding onto him like he’d fall if he didn’t, hips grinding up against the alpha as he let out a submissive whimper. His heat was in full swing, his body craving anything and everything his alpha would give him. And  _ oh  _ how he wanted it all. His touch, his lips, his praise, his knot, his  _ bite _ . He knew he’d be begging if his lips weren’t already so busy with such a passionate kiss.

Anakin pushed his hips forward to grind back, loud crooning filling the room as he growled into the kiss. The noises he was getting out of his omega did nothing but drive him on to do better, go faster, don't worry about destroying things.

“Alpha, please!” Obi-Wan gasped the moment his lips were free for only long enough for those two words. The shifting caused by their grinding had caused his hair to fall from the bun, and his hair was loose, save the few braids, cascading over the bedding below him with the now loose flowers scattered along the trails of red.

Anakin straightened up on his knees with a low purr, his hands dragging away from Obi-Wan's shoulders and down his stomach. Though he wanted to continue, he still had pants on, and what good were pants during heats? He kicked off his boots and unfastened the button that kept the pants on his hips, and soon Anakin was fully naked for Obi-Wan. He was back on his omega not long after and continuing the grinding as he trailed kisses all down the pale neck of the omega.

The omega mewed at the amount of heated skin pressing against his skin. His fingers caught on golden curls in a grasp still weak from the damage done to his hands and arms, but at least the trembling issue was mostly gone. Now his trembling was in the legs, caused purely by the anticipation of having his alpha between them before too long.

Anakin's kisses continued to move lower as the tension grew between them. Soon he was kissing Obi-Wan's hips, letting his hands roam over the omega as his body prepared for the official bonding.

“Yours, Alpha.” Obi-Wan moaned out, shifting under his attentions, “Yours. Please, Alpha, make me yours.”

Anakin left a sharp bite on Obi-Wan's hip before returning to his omega's lips, claiming them once more with a soft growl. "I'll make you mine, omega," he said as he reached a hand down to tease at Obi-Wan's entrance.

The omega whimpered, far more sensitive when his body’s in heat than when they had previously joined together. Reaching down with the hand that wasn’t still tangled in curls, Obi-Wan brushed his fingers over the base of Anakin’s cock where the knot was.

A low groan resonated through the air as Anakin let his eyes slip closed briefly. He rolled his hips forward when he opened his eyes again, his gaze locked onto Obi-Wan's. He sat back while keeping his gaze steady. "Present for me, omega."

The omega obeyed without hesitation, shifting to untangle his legs from around the alpha so that he could roll over and tuck his spread knees under him to prop his rear up, slick dripping down his thighs.

Growling again, Anakin gripped Obi-Wan's hips and leaned forward to lap up some of the slick, groaning at the scent. 

“ _ Ah _ !” Obi-Wan shivered at the feel of tongue sliding up his leg, “Oh, please…” He shifted slightly, gripping the wedding robes that were still under him.

The alpha repeated the motion, this time stopping close to Obi-Wan's leaking entrance. He paused only briefly before diving in and eating out the omegas ass, groaning as he felt more slick release.

“ _ Oh _ sweet mother of mmh!” Obi-Wan gasped out, the last word muffled by the bedding, but it almost sounded like a cuss word as a wave of trembles racked through his body.

Anakin hummed as he kept up the attention, moving his tongue faster as he lapped up every precious drop of slick. By the time he pulled back, his face was soaked, and his alpha side had never felt more awakened. There was a primal sense of need to breed his omega and to bite down on his neck and claim the omega as his own. His body screamed at him to do so many things at once that he resorted to just growling leaving a love bite on Obi-Wan's butt.

The omega yelped, though it was clear it was from surprise and not pain, nor did he pull away or fall from the perfect presentation pose he’d been told to take. He was a good omega. He would obey, he’d please his alpha, because if he was a good omega and did as he was expected, then he’d get a bite on his scent gland, and he’d be bonded to the alpha in the most basic, primal way nature intended. And oh, how he craved the feel of teeth claiming him more than even the knot his body was begging for.

Though both at once would be good. Yes, both at once. The thought made him shiver in need.

Anakin groaned when his omega shivered, pulling back enough so he could focus on what to do next. He knew that Obi-Wan wouldn't last much longer if he just stuck to foreplay, but was any sort of stretching needed? Already Obi-Wan's body was so ready to take the knot the alpha had. In the end, Anakin decided even he didn't want to wait any longer. If Obi-Wan was still a little tight, then so be it. They had already waited so long to spend a heat together, and Anakin was done waiting.

Pulling the omega's hips up just a little higher, Anakin rested his cock against Obi-Wan's ass, giving a few tiny thrusts to rub against the leaking omega's hole.

“Yesss…” Obi-Wan moaned, wiggling his ass against the cock sliding along his crack.

His cock being thoroughly coated in slick, Anakin shifted and pushed the tip inside his omega, figuring the slick was enough to make sliding into Obi-Wan easier.

“Alphaaa…” the omega melted, almost boneless as his body relaxed to the pleasure of finally having something long and hard sliding into where he was neediest. A happy purring sound soon drifted up from him as he pushed back ever so slightly to slip Anakin in a little deeper.

Anakin pushed his hips forward more until he was seated fully inside his mate. As he suspected, it was a little tighter than previous experiences, but it was comfortable. Anakin didn’t find himself being driven over the edge quite yet, which he was grateful for. He was going to make sure his omega was well satisfied before he knotted.

Obi-Wan peeked back over his shoulder, blue eyes glittering in the dim light of the room as the curtains had been drawn and the only light source was an old oil lamp on the desk and the fire in the fireplace.

Their eyes made contact in a brief moment of pause, adjusting and preparing for the next step they were familiar with. This time though, Anakin felt the heightened intensity as he pulled his hips back, then pushed them back to Obi-Wan’s. This time was far more intense, which made sense, considering this was a heat they were sharing...and he was in rut. 

The omega moaned out, loud and unashamed. Alphas loved the sounds an omega made, and he wasn’t going to deny his alpha by trying to muffle his voice into the bedding as if he were shy. 

The sounds Obi-Wan let out encouraged Anakin to go faster and harder, giving all he had to give to his mate. He even started making his own noises to compliment Obi-Wan’s which of course heightened the moment by a very high percentage.

“Ah— _ ah _ —!” the omega’s sounds started coming out in time with Anakin’s thrusts, his fingers curling into the fabric under him and his knees sliding apart just a little further. Oh it felt so good—his heat toys had absolutely  _ nothing _ on what his alpha had to offer.

He brought his elbows in under him to prop his torso up, head bent down to rest his forehead on the sheets. His hair fell to either side, barring his neck to the alpha. Pale, silky, smoothe...and the scent of needy omega growing even stronger without the hair to block it.

As the pace got quicker and stronger, Anakin eyed Obi-Wan's neck more and more, wanting to bite down on that pale skin and leave his mark permanently. Scenting only ever went so far, but the binding mark was the real deal, sealing them together for the rest of their lives. That mark was the most important thing between a bonded couple, and that mark was something that Anakin wanted his mate to look upon whenever he was lonely or sad, or just having a bad day in general. The mark would soothe the omega in the absence of his alpha, and Anakin wanted Obi-Wan to feel nothing but safe long after the mark was created.

"Pretty omega," Anakin crooned out as he gripped Obi-Wan's hips tighter.

“Mmm!” the omega moaned, his hole tightening in search of a knot, “Alpha, please…more…”

"Pretty omega," Anakin repeated with a slight growl. "Pretty omega… good omega…" He shifted so he could get his mouth closer to Obi-Wan's neck, not having to reach so far when the time came to leave his mark.

Obi-Wan began to purr louder under the praise, though he still gasped and moaned like he couldn’t get enough of what his alpha was doing—which was true if he were able to admit it with anything other than his sounds of pleasure.

Anakin could feel the familiar twinge in his stomach that told him he was getting close to his climax. It grew stronger with each thrust he made into Obi-Wan, and the stronger it became, the stronger his urge was to bite down on Obi-Wan's neck. Draping most of his body over the omega, Anakin started nuzzling the area he knew the scent gland was located. The scent was incredibly strong and attractive, causing the alpha to groan loudly and move his hips faster.

Yes, yes, yes, yes,  _ yes _ !

Obi-Wan was beyond being able to form words, but everything in his instincts told him he was about to get what he craved, and he tilted his head forward even more to bare his neck, waiting in perfect submission to feel his alpha’s knot finally slip past his entrance and swell up, locking them together as his alpha’s teeth bit into his scent gland.

And then it happened. He felt his hole give way to let the alpha’s knot inside before it clamped down tightly at the same time that Anakin got bigger and he was being filled with his alpha’s hot seed. He was in the middle of a content groan when the teeth scraping the back of his neck caught on his gland and he felt a sharp pain that only heightened the pleasure he felt, and he choked on his cry, a fresh wave of slick meeting Anakin’s orgasm, and the omega’s cock leaving a small white mess of his own under him.

Anakin groaned loudly as he bit down on Obi-Wan's scent gland, breaking the skin in multiple places, the sharp taste of blood filling his mouth. He breathed heavily as he came down from the high of his orgasm, but his teeth stayed locked in place.

Slowly, as Obi-Wan’s body accepted the bond, it started to relax fully. His arms and legs that had been barely keeping him in proper presentation giving out and he fell into the nest like a rag doll, only his neck bowed still for his alpha’s lingering bite. His mind felt dizzy—which he expected. His mother had told him that being bonded would unleash a flood of hormones that would have the side-effect of dizziness, his body fully compliant to the alpha, and a greatly lowered chance at pregnancy during the bonding heat—no matter how many times he’d end up knotted and filled with his alpha’s seed. And oh, he could feel that his alpha had been generous with his. His stomach felt as if it had expanded a little with the amount of cum trapped within him by the knot he was locked onto. The feeling made him happy, even if he wouldn’t get pregnant right away. If Anakin could fill him so much now, then later during a regular heat, surely he’d not have an issue with conceiving. 

Anakin finally relaxed enough to let go of Obi-Wan's neck, watching the blood running out of the wound. Gently he lapped up some of the blood, whispering an apology to Obi-Wan, though it wasn't needed. 

“Alpha…” Obi-Wan managed to pant out after a few more breaths of silence. He smiled and turned his head to the side, looking up at Anakin, “Is your mark pretty on my neck?”

"It's beautiful," Anakin replied, smiling back at his omega. 

The omega preened and let out a happy little noise that was mixed with a purr. Closing his eyes gently, he let out a sigh, “I like being pretty for you.”

"You're very pretty, omega. So pretty for me." Anakin kissed the bleeding mark a couple times.

“I’m sleepy...will you hold me? Even after your knot goes down?”

"Of course. I'll hold you as long as you want me to."

“I want that. Your arms holding me close until my next wave of need hits, then I want you even closer. My heat...is nice with you taking care of me…” the omega admitted, “I almost don’t want it to end.”

"We've got a while before it does end. I'll fill you up every time and make you satisfied until the last hour of your heat." Anakin purred as he burrowed his face in Obi-Wan's neck.

“I love you.” Obi-Wan flushed, cracking open his eyes to look at Anakin once more before he let sleep overtake him.

As Obi-Wan drifted to sleep, Anakin kissed his ear and smiled. "I love you too."

* * *

A week later, and entirely too soon, Anakin woke up to find that Obi-Wan’s scent had faded, going back to a normal level and signifying that his heat had ended sometime during the night. He kissed the mark on the omega’s neck and slipped out of the bedroom to go run a nice bath for the two of them to get cleaned up in, then he went back to wake his sleeping husband.

They bathed together in the lightly scented water, enjoying the feeling of  _ clean _ after a week of quick clean-ups using a damp cloth. They didn’t get out until the water was starting to feel cold. They then got dressed and Anakin helped brush out Obi-Wan’s hair before they finally ventured out to find the small group of companions who had witnessed their wedding.

As soon as they stepped out onto the front porch, Che was up and swooping over to whisk the omega into a chair.

“Tilt your head forward, I’m just going to make sure your bonding mark is healing without issue. It won’t be pleasant if it gets infected,” she said.

Flushing, Obi-Wan pulled his hair to the side and did as he was told to let the healer check his mark.

Anakin stepped to the side to let the healer look over Obi-Wan, looking around as he readjusted to normal life. He had to admit he was still in a bit of a daze. Going through a full heat with his now husband was intense and took a lot more energy than he originally expected. He still loved every minute of it, though, and he couldn't wait for the next one.

“So, did you two enjoy yourselves these past few days?” Cera-Rai asked from where she was deshelling some sort of pods that were harvested from the garden nearest the house.

"Absolutely," the alpha replied with a smile. "Honestly, best time of my life so far."

“Mm, nothing like sharing an omega’s heat.” Qui-Gon nodded in agreement, “And that first one is always mind-blowing.”

“I’m glad Mystic Obi-Wan didn’t have any visions this heat. I wouldn’t have wanted to enter that space during a bonding heat. A freshly bonded alpha would have attacked without second thought.” Nodin-Va said.

“Yeah, I think I would have attacked just about anyone who walked in,” Anakin agreed with a shrug. 

“And I don’t think I would have been able to try and hold you back. I was— _ very _ submissive to you.” Obi-Wan shrugged as Che applied a mild healing cream to his bite mark before reaching for a roll of bandages to wrap his neck. She knew better than to use a bacta cream which would reduce scarring. The scar was an important mark for a bonded couple.

“You were a good little omega being submissive to me.” Anakin smiled as he stepped closer to give Obi-Wan’s cheek a kiss.

Obi-Wan made a small happy noise at the praise, “Well, don’t expect that level of complete submission outside of my heats. I won’t let you attack my friends if they walk in on us getting close.” he teased.

"No, of course not. Besides, I think some of your friends are my friends now as well."

Obi-Wan chuckled, and once Che was done, he got up to move into Anakin’s lap, tucking himself in comfortably before reaching over to bring the harvest basket his mother was working on deshelling closer to help her.

“So has there been any more news on the Sith or Sel-Makor?” Anakin asked as he held Obi-Wan close but not restricting him from helping his mother.

“Nothing,” Nodin-Va said. “Mystic Tah-Lee haven't had any visions of what to do, so everyone is just hanging tight until something happens or a Mystic gets a vision.”

“That’s not completely true. She sent a small group of volunteers, mostly Jedi, into the old ruins located in the Nightmare Lands to investigate this Sel-Makor’s return or whatever. There’s been nothing but silence since.” Qui-Gon said, “But there has been no visions of either that or the Sith, nor has there been any sightings of the Sith, even above.”

“Everything feels tense,” Anakin stated. “Like there’s something big about to happen, and I can’t make sense of it.”

“You can tell that? Is that one of the Force things you can do?” Obi-Wan asked.

"Something like that, yeah. We can tap into the Force's energy and feel things that others can't."

“Interesting...is it ever wrong?”

"Typically not, but it can be misleading if you don't know what to look for."

“So it’s almost like a Mystic’s power—only with feeling instead of seeing?”

Anakin nodded. "Yeah, a bit like that."

“Hmm, I wonder if we’ll have a little omega that has both a Mystic’s visions, and your Force-feel gifts.”

“What if we had a whole bunch of omegas? Or our first turns to be an alpha and the rest are omegas?”

“Just how many are you thinking of putting in me to talk like that?” Obi-Wan huffed good-naturedly, dropping the gathered shells off his lap and onto the cloth his mother laid out for them so it’d be easier clean-up afterwards.

“Oh, I don’t know. At least three, I think.” Anakin smirked as he nuzzled Obi-Wan’s neck.

“As long as you aren’t getting ridiculous. I know I changed my mind about having one and then seeing from there, but that was partially lingering fear and the need to have  _ you _ claiming me so no one else could dare…”

“Don’t worry, I won’t suggest more than three. For now. One at a time, of course.”

“Good alpha.” The omega finished deshelling another, but instead of dropping it in the bowl, he pressed it to Anakin’s lips. “These taste better cooked, but they are still tasty raw. We call then enips.”

Anakin willingly ate the enip and smiled. “Pretty good. Can’t imagine how much better they’ll taste after being cooked.”

“You’ll get a chance. I’m making enip pie. So don’t go munching on too many of them if you’re going to be helping me deshell them!” Cera-Rei said, and Obi-Wan gave a guilty smile, “I’m not seven years old anymore, mom.”

“Sounds like you’ve eaten too many raw enips before,” Anakin commented with a smile. 

“So many I gave myself a stomach ache.” Obi-Wan sheepishly admitted.

“Well, I’ll keep you from doing that this time. Don’t want you to have a stomach ache.” Anakin pat Obi-Wan’s stomach gently as he spoke.

“I’m trying to be good, but I just finished my heat and haven’t eaten a proper meal yet, so I’m starving.”

“Well, we’ll get proper food as soon as these are all deshelled. I’m just as hungry as you are.”

“I can imagine using so much energy to keep me stated would make you very hungry.” Obi-Wan agreed.

“Good to know we get to eat a lot after your heats.”

“If you’re here, yes.” Cera-Rei said, “I make sure to feed those who need it. I remember the hunger after heats, after all.”

Anakin smiled. “Thanks. It’s nice to have a mom around again… you know that, of course.”

“It’s nice to have an alpha in the family.” she said.

“Here, I’ll show you how to deshell the enips so this tedious job can get done faster.” Obi-Wan said, turning so Anakin could see how he squeezed the shells along the thinner edge so that it’d pop open into two parts and free the enip in the center.

Once the alpha learned how to prepare the enips, he helped the family go through the deshelling process, which reduced the time they had to do so. Soon there were many enips ready to be washed, cut, and baked into pies, the mated couple stealing a few pieces here and there, because it was hard to deny them food when their stomachs were rumbling loud enough for everyone else to hear.

“Well,” Obi-Wan said once they were finished and his mother took the bowl of enips inside, “It’s nice out, I could use more fresh air, and so I think I’ll go find a nice spot to meditate. Would you like to come with me, Anakin?” Obi-Wan said, standing up.

“Sure, a walk would be nice.” Anakin stood up and brushed himself off.

“Don’t wander too far. And take a comm with you.” Qui-Gon said.

“Alright.” The young alpha went back inside quickly to grab his comm, then he was right back at Obi-Wan’s side, crooning happily.”

“We’ll let you know when the food is ready.” Nodin-Va said, “And try to get some actual meditation done, Obi-Wan, I know when you two meditate together you end up making out instead.”

Obi-Wan’s cheeks flushed and he cleared his throat, “Yes, well, I plan on doing proper meditation anyway. It’s important for my visions, after all, and I’m unable to meditate during heat. So you can rest assured that I won’t cut my meditations short this time.”

“I won’t try to kiss him this time either,” Anakin said with a smirk. “I think I can hold off on kissing him when I’ve been doing it all week.”

“That’s putting it lightly.” Qui-Gon chuckled, “Go on, get some fresh air.”

Anakin grabbed his omega’s hand as they headed away from the farm house in search of a place for Obi-Wan to meditate. Soon the sounds of the farm faded away, and the chirping of different animals quickly became the ambiance. The alpha loved it, and he sighed happily as they walked.

Obi-Wan found his favorite spot from his childhood next to a brook. He settled on a smooth rock and got comfortable.

While the omega settled on the rock, Anakin took off his boots and rolled up his pants, stepping into the water and letting it flow around his ankles. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling before looking over at his mate. He wanted to talk, but Obi-Wan needed to meditate, so words were going to wait. Instead, he reached out in the Force and sent a warm, loving feeling towards the redhead.

* * *

To be continued...


	22. Chapter 22

That night, with full bellies and fresh bedding, the newlyweds curled up together and drifted off to sleep without issue. It felt good to simply curl up between clean sheets after a week of sharing a heat and the mess that came with it.

The house was quiet, everyone tucked into whatever bed they had made for themselves as there were more guests staying than Cera-Rei had mattresses for.

Obi-Wan shifted, rolling onto his back on his side of the bed in his childhood bedroom. He gave a little whimper, kicking the blankets off himself as if he were too hot that chilly night, despite the fact that the fire had died down to only a bed of coals glowing faintly.

The mattress dipped a bit as he sat up, his scarred feet meeting the cold floorboards before he stood up and padded silently out of the room, leaving the door open as if he would be right back. But he passed by the refresher and the kitchen, moving instead out the front door, which he also left wide open.

It was only when his feet touched the dew-soaked grass that his eyes opened, glowing a dark purple in the starlit night.

In the distance, an unnatural howl was let loose that held the power of darkness in its tone. Calling out to all steeped or possessed in darkness.

Some time after the omega had left, Anakin tossed and rolled about in bed until he eventually woke up, not feeling the best. There was something wrong, he could feel it, but what exactly was wrong eluded him. Sitting up in bed, he yawned and rubbed his eyes, intending on rubbing Obi-Wan’s back a little before going to Qui-Gon. However, when he reached his hand out, he was met with an empty space. Confused, Anakin opened his eyes and looked at the spot on the bed where his husband should have been.

Anakin got out of the bed, figuring the omega had just gotten up to get a glass of water, or maybe a midnight snack. That was quickly proven wrong as he made his way to the kitchen and found it empty. 

“Where did you run off to?” Anakin asked the silence of the house in a hushed tone. That was when he noticed the front door was wide open, letting in the chilly night air. 

Anakin shivered as he hugged himself and stepped outside. He looked around, hoping to find the omega simply admiring the night or meditating. Obi-Wan was nowhere to be seen, however, and Anakin didn’t like how that fact settled in his stomach. 

“Obi-Wan?” The alpha called out with an even tone, hoping that if the omega was close, he would hear.

Anakin was met with the sounds of the night and no sign of any reaction to the mystic’s name being called out.

“It’s too cold to leave the door open while you get fresh air.” Rik-Ol scolded suddenly from the doorway after a few moments of silence passed. “The draft woke me up.”

“I didn’t open the door,” Anakin said, sounding distant.

The Gormak gave the alpha a disbelieving look, “Right, the wind blew it open, right?”

The alpha shook his head. “Obi-Wan wasn’t in bed when I woke up… he wasn’t in the kitchen either, and I found the door wide open. I…”

There was a pause, one where Anakin’s tension could almost be physically felt. “I think Obi-Wan is gone.”

“Mystic Obi-Wan wouldn’t just walk out.” Rik-Ol crossed his arms, “He’s terrified of what could happen if he’s left alone at all, plus he just married you. He’s in your lap more often than not, it seems.”

“Well he’s not here. I’ve looked for him, called for him even, and he’s just not here.”

“Then why are you not screaming for everyone to wake up so we can send out a search party?”

“Well I am now!” Anakin snapped and ran into the house, shouting for everyone to wake up with such a desperate tone that was hinting at fear. 

“Ani, it’s late, what are you screaming about?” Qui-Gon groaned, sitting up with messy hair as he rubbed his eyes.

“Obi-Wan is gone and I don’t know where he is!” the blond explained as best as he could with how frantic he was getting.

“He’s not in bed?” Che asked, moving from the couch and pulling her sleeping robes tighter around her frame.

“No, I thought he had gone to the kitchen for a drink or snack, but he wasn’t there either, and I found the front door wide open when I tried looking for him.” Anakin folded his arms over his chest as he began to pace around.

“Did you see him walk out of the bedroom? If so he can’t be far.”

"No, I was asleep when he left. I don't know how long he's been gone."

“Judging by how cold it is in here, I’d say it’s been a while.” Nodin-Va said, pulling on his boots and grabbing his jacket, “And I for one don’t think we should delay our search any longer.”

"Please. I only just married him, I don't want to lose him again."

“Grab your boots and a shirt, then.” Qui-Gon said, also getting ready to rush out and search, “Lightsaber, probably. But you’re bonded now, you should be able to track him easier than last time.”

Anakin nodded as he rushed to his and Obi-Wan's room, throwing on the proper clothes and clipping his lightsaber to his belt. Pausing briefly, he reached out to Obi-Wan within the Force and was met with a cold darkness that he hadn't ever experienced before. It was deep and swallowed the warmth that was Obi-Wan in the Force. He shivered and tried to push away the feeling.

“Anakin, dear, are you ready?” Cera-rei asked, poking her head into the room, clearly worried about her son.

"Something very bad is happening…and I think it has something to do with Sel-Makor." Anakin looked up at Cera-Rai with worry. "I'm ready."

Alarm crossed the mother’s face, “But we’re far enough away from the Nightmare Lands to not be reached here. You don’t think...it’s not the madness, right?”

"It could be… when I reached out to him I was met with a darkness I've never experienced before. It was cold and terrifying, like I was going to drown in it." Anakin shivered again.

“I don’t like this...not at all.” she shivered.

“I don’t either. The sooner we find Obi-Wan, the better.” Anakin sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Let’s go before things get too bad.”

She nodded, “If it is the madness...he’ll attack whomever finds him. So don’t be surprised if he attacks you.”

“I’ll handle it if that happens… I just hope I won’t have to resort to something terrible to get him to snap out of it.”

“They can be cured of it, but it’s not a process I know. You’d have to speak with a Voss Historian. I’m sure the way to cure a victim of the madness is in their records...if the records have survived the Outsider’s attack on Voss.”

“Hopefully this time we won’t have to make someone into a sacrifice.”

“That was to defeat Sel-Makor. The madness lingered in those already infected.” She shooed him out the door, “Go. I’m staying here with a comm just in case.”

Anakin nodded and hurried out. “If something happens here, please let us know,” he called over his shoulder as he left.

“Of course. Please find and bring my baby boy back.”

As the search began late in the night, Anakin tapped into the Force to keep himself calm and collected. Obi-Wan was gone from the farm, yes, but he wasn’t off Voss this time. The omega was still somewhere on the planet, and he hadn’t taken a speeder or an animal to wherever he went off to, so he had to have been in the general area. Maybe he was in the town nearby, or at another farm.

The group split up into groups to search each direction, Nodin-Va and Che taking the old Voss speeder towards town, Rik-Ol and Rak-Ta searching the surrounding land on two of Cera-rei’s mountable animals, and Qui-Gon and Anakin took the new speeder.

“I overheard you and Cera-Rei speaking.” Qui-Gon said, hopping into the driver’s seat before Anakin had the chance to, “I think we should head towards the Nightmare Lands in our search.”

Anakin nodded. "As much as I hate to go there, I agree. That's probably where Obi-Wan went if he's being possessed by Sel-Makor."

“Or whatever it is that lured him away from the safety of his own bed.” Qui-Gon pulled up a map of Voss and plotted the best path to their destination before punching the thrusters to speed away towards the Nightmare Lands.

“Keep an eye out for any signs of your omega on the way. He’s on foot, after all—as far as we know.”

"Yeah, I'm trying to get a location from our bond in the Force, but it's hard to get passed all the darkness I'm getting off of him."

“That worries me greatly, if I’m honest. All the Voss have had the feel of neutrality in the Force. Neither Light nor Dark. And from what I have witnessed from the Mystics is that they draw a little from each side, blending them together. They hold an impressive natural balance, tempted by neither side. So if your Obi-Wan is so steeped in the Dark side, then…” he trailed off, not wanting to say it out loud.

"That's the thing though, it doesn't feel like the dark side. It's cold and deep, like there's no end to it and like… it can grab your soul and rip it out of your body. I can't describe just how wrong it feels."

“Let’s hope he still has his soul when we find him, then.” Qui-Gon said, his mind running over Anakin’s words, trying to piece together an answer as to what was happening with the omega that had won his padawan’s heart.

"Master… I have to admit I'm terrified right now. I don't know how to process just how scared I am, I just…" Anakin took a shaking breath in and let it out slowly.

“Try to release it into the Force so you can focus on what needs to be done. I know you are officially no longer a Jedi, but the things you learned as a Jedi can still aid you greatly when you need it.”

"I'll try. It's hard with Obi-Wan possibly being in danger and being surrounded by this unfamiliar darkness."

“I know, that’s why I said to try, and not to do. Screw Yoda’s ‘ _ do or do not, there is no try _ ’ bantha poodoo. Trying and failing is just as valid as trying and succeeding. Not trying at all is the problem.”

Anakin managed a small chuckle. "Is that how you really feel, Master?"

“Why, Anakin Skywalker, have I ever been the type of Jedi to hide my true feelings about the very Order that raised me?” the man smirked, “Or do you need a reminder as to why I’ll never be given a position on the High Council?”

"No, I don't think I need a reminder, but I'm glad that I have you to talk about how ridiculous the rules of the Jedi are."

“I would have failed you as a teacher if you blindly followed the Jedi without a good level of criticism so that you could make your own opinions on things. Mace rather hated that I became your teacher. Of course, that was his own fault for not wanting you trained at all. He and I are good friends, of course, but we clash on many things.”

"Good to know I have someone to rant to when I remember what it was like to live under the rules of the Jedi."

“Of course, any ti—oh, my comm is going off, can you answer it?” Qui-Gon said, pulling out his communicator and tossing it into Anakin’s lap.

The young alpha picked it up and answered it. "Master is driving, but what have you got?"

Mace’s image flickered into view, “Is the Mystic your group is protecting missing, too?”

Anakin nodded. "We're out trying to find Obi-Wan, but no luck so far."

“Then it’s confirmed. Every group has discovered their Mystic had gone missing sometime during the night. Search parties haven’t found any sign of them yet.”

"Every single mystic is missing?" The alpha sighed and rubbed his face. "Well, Master Qui-Gon and I are headed to the Nightmare lands. That's where we think we might find Obi-Wan."

“Nightmare Lands? Should I send out a team as back-up? The group that went earlier this week still haven’t made contact at all, and we were starting to fear the worst has happened to them.”

"Backup might be a smart idea. If that group hasn't responded yet, then the nightmare lands are worse than we thought."

“I’ll organize and send a group as quickly as possible. Proceed with caution, and may the Force be with you both.”

Anakin nodded before he pocketed the comm. “Well, let’s see if we make it out of the Nightmare lands with our sanity intact.”

“And the Mystics.” Qui-Gon said.

Time passed and before long the duo crossed into the Nightmare lands, the sky appearing darker overhead, even with the dawn shedding the first rays of morning light over Voss. The air felt colder, and the Force felt—foreboding. It wasn’t like it had been last time Anakin had been there. It had felt normal all those weeks ago, but now there was definitely something infecting it. No wonder it had been called the Nightmare Lands back before the land was finally able to start healing…

Qui-Gon pursed his lips into a thin line, but continued on, slowing a little only to avoid crashing as the trees grew thicker.

Up ahead something glinted in the speeder’s headlights, rocking back and forth.

“Master, stop. I think… I think that’s Artoo!” Anakin jumped out of the speeder as it came to a stop, jogging over to the astromech rocking back and forth. The alpha smiled as he reached out to rest his hand on the top of the droid’s dome. 

“Hey, buddy. Boy am I glad to see you.”

Artoo beeped, waving his appendages as he rolled over to Anakin. He clearly needed a good cleaning, dirt dulling his chrome casing, but he was in a good mood, seeing Anakin again.

He’d stayed, guarding the Jedi-sent tech for Voss’ upgrades as he was told to, but he’d also gotten bored and started exploring the surrounding Nightmare Lands as well, and recently there had been alarming activity that he’d observed before setting out to find—well, anyone to help, but he’d hoped to find his Jedi friend Anakin.

Once Anakin reached him and placed a fond hand on his dome, he finished up his beeps of happy greeting to switch to frantic beeps and chirps that spoke of the urgency of what he discovered.

He backed up and tried to project something, beeping out a full out swear when the dirt he was covered in blocked the projection.

Anakin chuckled, kneeling down and wiping off the dirt. “There, that should help.”

The droid let out an affectionate noise before trying again. This time it worked, though the recording was grainy, a clear sign that it had been recorded with dirt on the lense.

The recording was short, but it was enough.

Mystics walking like they were possessed, disappearing into the depths of old ruins as a very familiar horned Sith watched with a pleased look on his face.

Anakin was instantly tense, seeing the Sith who had fought Obi-Wan before. “Kark… this is bad.”

He whirled around to look at Qui-Gon. “Master, are you seeing this? Mystics acting possessed and going into those ruins?”

“I see, yes.” Qui-Gon nodded, “Artoo, you remember the way back to this location? Can you plug it into the speeder’s navigation?”

Artoo beeped a few times before using his boosters to propel himself up and into the speeder, plugging into the system to put in the coordinates.

“Anakin, once we are on our way again, copy the information and send it to Mace so he knows exactly where to send the backup team.”

The young alpha nodded as he climbed back into the speeder. “I hope we’re not too late to rescue the Mystics again…”

“We’re doing everything within our power, Ani.” Qui-Gon said, taking off and adjusting their direction as needed.

* * *

The Mystics all stood gathered in the old ruins, each one barefoot and supporting scrapes and cuts on their feet and legs from their walk across the landscape. They also were all barely dressed, wearing whatever it was that they had fallen asleep in, be it actual night clothes, or just the under-layer of their daytime robes, or, in Obi-Wan’s case, absolutely nothing but one of Anakin’s shirts which went down to his upper thighs, and the bandage around his neck to protect his mating mark while it healed.

“Good, they have all arrived." A disembodied voice spoke from a pit in the stone floor.

"They are ready for your instructions," the Sith that accompanied the Mystics said. "They are ready to destroy Voss."

“Not yet. They must first release me of my prison. I can only do so much with the cracks the violence your people rought. Only once I’m able to once again use my full power will I be able to destroy Voss and grant you the unimaginable power promised in exchange for your aid.” the voice paused, “Which Mystic was it you had wanted to keep for yourself? I’ll need to know before we begin the ritual.”

"The one with the bandages on his neck. It looks like another alpha got to him first, but I'll claim him as mine one way or another."

“Then separate him from the others. I’ll only draw from him if I need to. There are far less Mystics now than there were when I was imprisoned by a Mystic, a Voss, and a Jedi who refused my promise of power. It is unfortunate there are so few—but it will also be easier to rid Voss of all who could find the key to my destruction again.”

"Good. The sooner we take down Voss, the better." Maul stepped forward and pulled Obi-Wan to the side, growling when he caught a whiff of Anakin's scent.

“When I begin, the possession holding the Mystics mindless will break. I have crafted the others of your kind which were still on Voss, as well as that group you discovered wandering about into my first batch of minions. They are positioned outside to prevent anyone from entering, but you will need to make sure none of the Mystics manage to escape.”

"I've held them captive before, I think I can handle doing it again."

“Good. I will begin.”

The amount of darkness in the Force increased, becoming almost suffocating as the possession dropped and all the Mystics fell to their hands and knees, confused as they looked around. Only the Sith known as Maul stood unaffected by the level of power in the chamber.

“Wh-what’s going on?”

The question barely slipped past a Mystic’s lips before an unseen Force was on them, pushing them down and drawing at their very life forces.

“Get your hands off me!” Obi-Wan panicked, clawing at the Sith’s arm in an attempt to make him let go. The growling no longer affected him nearly as much as it had before he bonded with his alpha, but a strong, controlling grip still made his body want to fall into submission, though not completely and he was able to move enough to fight back in small ways.

“Quit moving, or you’ll end up like your friends,” Maul hissed, tightening his grip on the red head.

“You’re not my alpha—you can’t demand anything of me! Get your hands  _ off _ me!”

A swift hand came across Obi-Wan’s face in a hard slap. “Obey me, omega, or I’ll cover that nasty mark on your neck with my own.”

“You can never erase my true bonding mark.” Obi-Wan hissed before he found the leverage to roll over, making the Sith lose balance enough for him to slip down into a less powerful position above him, and then the omega bit down on the Sith’s hand, hard enough to feel a knuckle snap beneath the pressure of his teeth.

“Ow, you son of a hutt!” Maul kneed Obi-Wan’s stomach hard and shoved him away, assessing the damage done to his hand. “You’re going to pay for that.”

Obi-Wan grunted, but took advantage of the opportunity granted to him. Ignoring the sharp pain in his stomach that made him want to throw up, he pushed himself to his feet and scrambled away across the room, finding something in the rubble of the ruins to use as a weapon. He got lucky and found a long spear. It was all made of some old metal he couldn’t identify, and it was heavy, but it was sharp and would help keep a distance between himself and the Sith while he worked out a good plan to get himself and the other Mystics away safely. 

Maul growled when Obi-Wan picked up the spear. “You think you can use a weapon properly? The last time you used one, you lost. What makes you think you can win this time?”

“Last time you cheated to make me drop it!” Obi-Wan huffed out, gripping the spear tighter, “This time I’m bonded and therefore protected from your demands!”

“I highly doubt that.” Maul pulled out his lightsaber and ignited it. “You will submit to me, and you  _ will _ become my omega.”

“Seems you could use a good few lessons in flirting. You really are horrible at it. No omega likes a brute who only takes while giving nothing in return.” He took a few careful steps around so he had a better space to stand his ground in. He didn’t want to trip over fallen stones.

“And no alpha likes an omega who disobeys orders. I’m sure you can recall just how badly you were treated when you disobeyed the last time I had you trapped.”

“ _ My _ alpha doesn’t make orders. He makes requests like a real gentleman! He makes me feel safe and loved and I make sure his knot is more than happy. No demands needed!”

“He’s an inferior alpha then. Couldn’t even properly claim you on the first time he fucked you.”

“His claim on me is good, deep, and strong, don’t you dare think it isn’t proper!” Obi-Wan continued the banter, his mind searching for something more, something that would help get the other’s out of—whatever it was Sel-Makor was doing to them. He wasn’t stupid or blind, after all, he’d realized that the real power seeping into the air around them was none other than Sel-Makor. It felt the same as the vision he’d had.

“It isn’t proper that he took you away from me!” Maul lunged forward, slicing off a part of the spear Obi-Wan had a hold of.

“Sorry, I met him  _ first! _ ” Obi-Wan hissed, jabbing the now blunt, but burning end of the spear into the Sith’s soft belly.”

Maul cried out and shuffled away, growling louder and angrier. “He’s a stupid alpha for not protecting you a second time! I spared you from Sel-Makor’s wrath, have you no gratitude?!”

“Am I to be grateful to the one helping to doom not just my fellow Mystics, but also all of Voss? I’ll  _ never  _ thank you.”

“You’re making a mistake then. I should just let Sel-Makor drain your life spirit and let you die here on the cold floor before your precious alpha can come rescue you.”

“How about you flirt with death instead!” Obi-Wan charged the Sith, his once-spear in hand and ready to ram into him.

The Zabrak managed to dodge out of the way before he had the weapon plowing into his stomach once more. “You don’t know how much truth there is in your statement.”

Obi-Wan bounced up onto the balls of his feet and turned on the spot, swinging the pole at the Sith in a second attempt.

Maul grabbed the pole and stopped it mid-swing, glaring down at Obi-Wan while growling. "I suggest you stop this right now."

“Can’t stop,” Obi-Wan’s hands trembled, his grip faltering slightly—his nerves hadn’t fully healed, after all. Che had done all she could, and they were better, but they would never be as they had been before, and the amount of strength his fingers needed to keep hold of the heavy rod for so long was straining them. But still, he was determined to fight as long as he could, pushing against the trauma of before that wanted to have him curl up into a ball and cry. But he could do that later—if he got out of this mess. “Won’t stop. I won’t let you win this time!”

The sith grabbed the pole and yanked it out of the omega's hands. "You're weak. Stop this, and I'll make sure your taken care of properly later."

Moving on instinct when he lost his weapon, Obi-Wan quickly snapped out, his fist smacking hard into the Sith’s face.

Once more Maul stumbled back with a shout. It was clear he was getting angrier by the minute. "I can't believe how unbelievably stubborn your being! If I didn't want you as my mate so badly I would have killed you by now."

“Why do you even want me? I’m nothing you want in an omega!” Obi-Wan said, moving to put distance between them.

"You're an omega in his prime with a unique power I want. You can provide so much for me."

“You will never impregnate me!” He stumbled to a stop, finding himself on the edge of the pit that contained—whatever it was that made up Sel-Makor.

"You're wearing my patience down, and you're running out of space to run from me. Give up already."

The omega clenched his teeth. He really wanted his alpha there, he needed the comforting scent and strong arms. But he was alone, trapped, and the other Mystics were weakening, and he wasn’t getting any good ideas on how to do anything important other than to keep running.

Maul was closing in on him, a sadistic look in his sithly yellow eyes. He reached out to grab the omega when suddenly there was a  _ scream _ unlike anything Obi-Wan had ever heard before, and something heavy smacked into Maul, knocking him over into the pit, his saberstaff flying out of his hand and landing in the rubble.

He blinked his eyes open and found Artoo landing in front of him with pleased beeps.

“Artoo—I’m so happy to see you.” he sighed, relaxing his shoulders before looking over to the other Mystics, “We need to find a way to get them out of Sel-Makor’s clutches.”

"Don't worry, you've got more people to help you think." 

Running in with a smile on his face, Anakin appeared as if on cue, Qui-Gon jogging up behind him with his lightsaber activated. 

“Anakin!” Feeling relieved, the omega let himself fall to his knees. Anakin was there. He brought help—they’d all be okay. Feeling overwhelmed, he felt the wetness of tears on his dirty cheeks. “You found me again…”

Qui-Gon ignored the overwhelmed Mystic, knowing that if he needed help, that Anakin would be quick to do so. So he instead moved towards the other Mystics, summoning the Force and all that was still light in it to push back the darkness holding them down and draining them.

The Mystics all gasped as they were released, each feeling weak, but glad for whatever the Jedi had done to help them.

“Are you okay? Can you walk?” Qui-Gon asked, continuing to hold the dark forces back. “You need to get out of here quickly. There’s more help outside, still fighting off the maddened individuals, but they’ll be able to escort you all safely.”

Those who could shuffled back to their feet and began to help the weaker Mystics up, supporting them unsteadilly before slowly filing out. Most were out when suddenly Qui-Gon felt his grip slip and the very foundation of the ruins shook violently, sending everyone to the ground. Even Artoo who had rolled over to the entrance to help the Mystics Toppled over and rolled away with a scream.

* * *

To be continued...


	23. Chapter 23

Anakin tripped over his feet and fell with a grunt onto his side when the ground started shaking. He had felt the Force grow lighter around him when his former master had pushed the darkness away, but the sudden flood of darkness back into the Force nearly sucked all the wind out of him, like he had been punched in the gut with a speeder. Groaning, he rolled onto his back and tried to get back on his feet as quickly as possible, helping Mystics to their feet as he made his way over to Qui-Gon.

“Master, let me help. I can push back some of the darkness.”

“I’m afraid it’s beyond pushing back. I think this  _ is _ whatever Sel-Makor is. I think he’s completely broken out of whatever prison he’d been trapped in. We just need to make sure everyone gets out, then we’ll deal with this.” Qui-Gon said, panic leaking into his voice and causing him to shout more than the calm Jedi normally would.

“You know I’m stronger in the Force, let me hold him back long enough for you to help everyone get out,” Anakin said in a stern voice, his expression serious.

“Anakin, look around, this place is falling apart. It’s not the place to make our stand right now, and your omega is trapped.” He gestured over across the pit where Obi-Wan was still on the ground, trapped between falling stones and rubble, and the pit itself.

Qui-Gon moved some of the rubble near him off a fallen Mystic and picked him up as best he could, given that the Voss was much taller than he was, and that was an experience to the taller-than-most human.

Anakin made a small distressed whine, but he caved and went to help his omega, rushing over and pushing rubble off Obi-Wan as carefully as possible. 

“Obi, are you okay?”

Obi-Wan shook his head, “I’m scared and I hurt, and I just want to go home and nest.” he admitted.

“It’s okay, we’ll get you out here and back home.” The alpha tried to nuzzle his mate reassuringly to calm him down. “Come on, let’s get you on your feet again.”

Nodding, Obi-Wan let Anakin help him up, “That—that Sith alpha is here—he fell down into the pit, but he’s here. He’s not happy we bonded…”

“He can karking deal with it, because I’m a better match for you anyways.” Anakin slung Obi-Wan’s arm over his shoulder and started walking him towards the exit.

“I’m more warning you in case—” Obi-Wan cut himself off, staring with wide eyes at the pit as some _ thing _ crawled out. It was Maul—but not. 

The  _ creature _ was gigantic with the same red and black markings Maul had. Skin replaced by scales and the short horns on his head had grown into something more like antlers with wicked points. Eyes were glowing blood red with a hint of pure darkness in the center. Sharp needle-like teeth stuck out from under his lips, lining the lizard-like muzzle. The body was still somewhat humanoid in shape, though with spikes running down his bare back and along a thick tail that had grown. His legs were longer, and his knees bent back the opposite way they had before when he took long steps forward out of the pit. His fingers, along with his toes, had bird-like tallions, curved and deadly. His arms much more muscular than they had been before and—

Obi-Wan swallowed and had to look away, for the once-Zabrak was fully nude, his body’s changes having shredded his clothes right off, and the omega couldn’t help but notice the mutated cocks hanging down between his legs, large with what looked to be the tips of spikes that would deploy when his knot swelled. With all that Maul had threatened him with forcing him; it was hard not to fear that change the most.

“I—I’m going to be sick…” he gasped, a hand over his mouth.

Anakin let out a growl that was different from the ones he had let out before. It was louder, more aggressive, and one meant to tell enemies to go away and not try to mess with him. The alpha moved so he was in front of Obi-Wan, protecting his mate while continuing to tell the monster in front of him to not attack.

The creature chuckled, “You think your pathetic growls can scare us? We’ve merged into one, and our combined power will make us invincible! Both our goals are within reach. More than Voss, the whole Galaxy will be consumed.” When the creature spoke, it came out an echo of both Maul and Sel-Makor’s voices.

"I won't let you reach your goals," Anakin growled out. 

The beast grinned, a bit of drool escaping the corner of his mouth, and the puddle began to sizzle, eating away at the stone floor, “I have the power to rip your mark off that stupid omega. Would you like to see?” it took a step forward.

"You lay a hand on my mate and I'll rip your throat out!" Anakin snarled louder activating his lightsaber.

“Careful, Jedi,” the creature chuckled, “The Dark is strong here. It’ll take hold your anger and pain, twisting you to it’s will.”

“Anakin, get out of there!” Qui-Gon called out before the creature’s tail swept back and knocked the tall Jedi hard against the wall knocking him out briefly and causing more stone to fall on him.

“You’ll pay for all you’ve done to my mate and the other Mystics,” Anakin said, trying to hide the anger in his voice.

The creature snarled and stepped closer, closing the distance before reaching out to touch the blue blade of Anakin’s weapon with a tallion, the blade not cutting through it, only sparking angrily under the strain. “I doubt it, Jedi.”

“I’d get rid of that doubt. I’m not really limited by what the Jedi say anymore.”

"Won't help you." It hissed, taking a strike at the alpha. 

Anakin held up his lightsaber to defend himself, blocking the beast’s attack. “I’m strong enough to resist the dark.”

"But not strong enough to defeat me."

“Don’t say things that aren’t true.” Anakin jumped forward and brought his lightsaber around in a sweeping motion, aiming for an arm of the beast.

With both alpha husband and monstrous creature locked in battle, Obi-Wan turned and ran back through the debris, looking for the Sith's forgotten weapon. 

“Anakin!” Qui-Gon shouted as he hoisted the last hurt Mystic into his arms, “Get Obi-Wan and get out of here! It’s all collapsing!” he said before hurrying out to get the Mystic to safety.

The creature chuckled, “This will be your grave. Well, until all of Voss is destroyed.”

Anakin briefly glanced around him to search for Obi-Wan, but he hardly had time to look before the beast was attacking him again, throwing hit after hit against his lightsaber as he struggled to keep himself safe and alive. 

“I won’t let you kill Voss! But you might die here if I hold you off long enough.”

“Falling rocks won’t kill me.” His tail flicked out, wrapping around Anakin’s ankle and lifted him into the air before it started pounding him back and forth into the ground.

Obi-Wan startled at the sound of shocked pain that he heard come from his alpha, and he glanced back, eyes widening as he hurried faster despite the pain he was in. Finally, he found the area he’d seen the saberstaff fall to, and he began searching desperately before finally catching a glint of metal tucked deep under some large fallen stones. Hoping it wasn’t pinned, he reached in, stretching his arm and fingers as far as he could in an attempt to reach it, and finding himself falling short.

Anakin felt dizzy and sick to his stomach by the time the monster was done pounding him into the ground, and he groaned in pain when he was suddenly not moving any longer, though still being upside down. His stomach churned, but he held back from throwing up as he glared at the monster again. “You’ll die one way or another today…”

Moving quickly, Anakin sliced his lightsaber through the beast’s tail, cutting it clean off and sending himself falling to the ground. He landed hard on the rock floor, another pained groan escaping his lips.

“Ani…” Obi-Wan glanced back at his husband before grunting and pressing himself harder against the stones that were keeping him from his prize. Biting into his lower lip, he clenched his jaw and squeezed his eyes shut, willing his reach to be just a bit longer.

The beast hissed and stepped onto Anakin, holding him down as it bent over him, it’s acidic drool dripping down and burning holes through the alpha’s shirt and scorching the skin underneath. 

Anakin screamed in pain as the drool hit his skin, though his scream was cut short by the weight of the beast stepping on him. He struggled to breathe as he fought the monster as best as he could, which resulted in a little more than just squirming around.

“Come on—come on—!” Obi-Wan pressed desperately, not seeing that the saber’s handle began to rock and rattle slightly, turning on it’s own until it was just within reach of his fingers.

He gasped, finally feeling it and he wiggled his fingers to coax it closer so that he could grab it.

“This is where you die, Jedi.”

Obi-Wan, felt a surge of adrenalin and he used it to run around the debris towards the monster. His stomach twisted in anticipation and, not trusting him to do what he needed to do while he was aware of his actions, he leapt up at the beast, closing his eyes and forcing himself into his meditation space as the saberstaff activated and he brought the red blade down. He didn’t see the angry red blade flicker and lose color until it shown a strong white light instead of red before it even finished cutting through the neck of the beast, the horned head falling down onto Anakin as the omega landed with a complete lack of grace, and the body of the creature toppled over.

The taunting voice of the beast was silenced as Anakin grunted and took in a greedy breath of air to fill his lungs. He coughed and sputtered while he breathed, trying not to cry out in more pain as drool from the head of the beast dripping onto him.

Obi-Wan was shaking as he slowly came out of his forced meditation and he dropped the saberstaff before pushing himself up and looking over his alpha. “A-Anakin, are you okay?”

A grunt came as a reply, the head of the beast flopping over and revealing the bruised and singed alpha. He sat up with some struggling, hands hovering over the burned skin.

The omega crawled over to him to help him sit up, “Can you walk? We do need to get out before we’re crushed or trapped…”

“I think so…” Anakin groaned again as he tried to get to his feet, which then his stomach decided to heave up anything it could, the blond just barely moving enough to throw up away from his mate.

The omega whined, not knowing how to help his alpha who was obviously suffering and in pain, “Sorry—I tried to help faster…”

“That lightsaber… it turned white when you were in the air. Like you purified the crystal inside…” Anakin shakily got to his feet and stumbled a little when the ground rumbled again, several large chunks of rock falling from the ceiling.

Obi-Wan yelped in scared surprise as the rocks were too close for comfort, “I—I don’t know what that means—I just—I never killed before—not like that. Not for—only to heal others, and even then it was never a sentient creature… I—” he shivered as more and more debris started falling, “We need to get out.” He spotted Anakin’s dropped lightsaber and grabbed it and the saberstaff before pushing himself up and moving to help his alpha.

Together the two limped outside where the others were waiting and watching, worried expressions on all their faces. Anakin hissed when the light breeze that was blowing caused his burns on his torso to sting.

“Anakin!” Qui-Gon rushed over to help, taking the weight of the alpha off the struggling omega as Quinlan stepped forward to help Obi-Wan.

“I’m just helping, don’t worry.” he crooned softly as he swept the omega up into his arms to carry him over to one of the speeders where they were collecting the injured.

“It’s over—let's get these people to medical help.” Mace stated.

“No, it’s not over yet.” Tah-Lee said, pushing herself up and stepping forward. “I have foreseen this...the dark beast has been killed, but Sel-Makor’s life force is not tied to a body. Soon we will see him raise from the ruins, and we must put an end to him here and now or Voss will be lost.”

“But, we don’t know how the great Tala-Reh defeated him last time…” another Mystic protested.

“I have foreseen what must be done.” Tah-Lee responded, “Tala-Reh’s memory will guide me—and my sacrifice may be enough to be final. Tala-Reh had not been a Mystic with a deep connection to Voss’s powers, I am. It must be a Mystic’s sacrifice this time.”

“But Elder—” Obi-Wan spoke up in protest as others also protested or volunteered instead. But she held up a hand to silence them.

“I have lived a good life, and my love is already waiting for me in death—I will not be able to be bound to the shrine as all those before me, but I have already passed on my knowledge to most of you to share with the future Mystics in my stead. Do not mourn me, for this is my final way to help Voss.”

Anakin grunted as he pushed away from Qui-Gon and approached Tah-Lee. “Your sacrifice will help heal Voss greatly. The Force is willing to guide you alongside Tala-Reh’s memory.”

She gave a small smile, “I know nothing of this ‘Force’, but you already seem to understand the depth of the Voss way. The others would all do the same, and they all could do it, but it’d be better if it were me. I’m the one who had the vision, I would have to explain it to another if they made the sacrifice, and it’s faster if I just do it.” 

She glanced back at the ruins they had escaped, seeing a dark cloud seeping up through the cracks in the debris and form overhead.

“I must go now. You take care of your family here, and look to making the future of Voss bright, safe, and peaceful. Everyone needs to go now, do not stay to watch.”

“You will be remembered, Elder Mystic Tah-Lee.” Obi-Wan said, feeling like he’d actually cry. She was like a second mother to him, after all, and he had a much harder time controlling his emotions.

She smiled and turned to limp back towards the forming cloud, a white glow surrounding her.

As Tah-Lee headed towards the ruins, everyone else made their way to the speeders to get as far away as possible. Anakin made sure he was in the same speeder as Obi-Wan, leaning heavily against the omega as he closed his eyes and relaxed. He was exhausted and in a lot of pain, but having Obi-Wan’s scent surrounding him was calming enough to allow him a moment’s peace.

Obi-Wan snugged gently into his alpha, not wanting to upset either of their injuries, but also wanting as much contact as possible. He closed his eyes and let out a shaky breath as behind them there was a loud rumbling followed by the sound of some sort of explosion and the sound of trees snapping. Immediately after, the whole planet suddenly felt lighter. Whatever Tah-Lee needed to do, it was clear it had worked, and to those with their eyes still open, they watched as the Nightmare Lands seemed to change before their eyes, growing healthier to match the rest of Voss.

“She did it…” someone muttered, “Sel-Makor is gone…”

“I commed ahead to have all the closest medics who can to meet us at the nearest village.” Mace reported.

Honestly, Obi-Wan hoped that after this, he never needed to be treated by a medic again.

Anakin lifted his head and looked back at the Nightmare lands, smiling when he saw how green and full of life it all was. "Voss is finally healed," he said as he went back to leaning against Obi-Wan, placing a gentle kiss to the omega's temple.

When they got to the village, several healers and medics rushed to help the Mystics and any other injured persons out if the speeders and into homes that citizens had graciously offered to house their Mystics and protectors in. Anakin insisted on being in the same home as Obi-Wan was, not wanting to be separated from his mate again for a long time. The war on Voss had caused him to lose Obi-Wan twice, and he wasn't looking for a third time to happen.

Obi-Wan clearly wasn’t upset with his alpha’s instance as he asked the healer working on his injuries if he could be moved into the same bed as his alpha once they were both patched up. The Jedi medic seemed confused, but as soon as Obi-Wan pointed to the dirty bandages on his neck and explained they were newly bonded mates and husbands, he was met with understanding and the promise that if neither’s injuries were too severe, that they would allow them to share a healing bed.

* * *

In the town’s meeting hall, Mace and a number of other higher ranking Jedi met around a table to discuss the situation left to deal with: the Sith.

“Right before all the Mystics disappeared on us, I received a call from our team who are up in the sith’s ships, searching databases for clues on where the Sith Order has been hiding all these centuries.” Kit said, “They think they have found something.”

“Good. We just need to make sure no more are coming to Voss before we pick up to pursue the lead.” Saesee said.

“I think it would be in Voss’ best interest to leave behind a team of Jedi when we do leave. Not just for if the Sith return, but also to help rebuild. Many of their cities and towns are devastated, and it wouldn’t be right to leave them alone to rebuild. But I have a strong feeling that Voss is safe for now. We can use this time to help them strengthen their planetary defence, and urge them to keep communications with us open should they find themselves in need again.” Mace decided out loud.

“Skywalker will be staying here, though I believe he wants to return to Coruscant with us so he can retrieve the rest of his belongings and bring them here,” Shaak Ti spoke up. “And he will not be returning to the order after he settles here, correct?”

“That’s what he claims.” Mace huffed.

“Qui-Gon sent out a low priority message not long ago announcing Knight Skywalker’s marriage to the Mystic Obi-Wan.” Kit stated, “He included that the marriage brings upon the end of his path of a Jedi and that he’s stepping into a new path here on Voss with his new husband.”

“If that is his choice, then we should respect it.” Saesee said, pointedly looking over at Mace.

“I agree,” Shaak Ti said. “Chosen One or not, he still deserves as much respect as anyone else on Voss. He belongs here now, and he should be treated as such.”

Mace sighed. “Still doesn’t change the fact that we’re letting the Chosen One go. He was supposed to fill so many prophecies.”

“The prophecies are ancient and hardly looked over anymore. We no longer train any of our members in the ways of foresight, at least for the depth needed to make and interpret prophecies. Haven't they been proven to be unreliable? And even when they are not, they hardly work out the way it’s believed they would. Who’s to say that if Skywalker truly is the Chosen One, that he must be a Jedi? Let the boy enjoy life. Let him know the love of an omega, the joy of children, the reality of a peaceful life. 

“Plus,” Shaak Ti smiled, leaning forward in her chair, “The prophecy is referring to the Chosen One bringing balance to the Force. Skywalker is certainly the strongest Force user on record, but these Voss Mystics are connected to the Force here on Voss in a way never seen before. It’s different than any other local group of Force Sensitives we know of. Each one is set in either the Dark or the Light, but the Mystics...they are in the middle. I’ve felt them pull from both sides at once. Maybe it is the children that will come from Skywalker and a Mystic that will fulfill the prophecy. Or maybe the prophecy is a load of bantha dung. Either way, we should let him live the life his heart leads him to.”

There was a collective agreement from the group of Jedi, and Mace knew he couldn’t argue with a group that was wholly against him. He sighed and closed his eyes. “Alright, I can accept that he will no longer be a Jedi.”

“Good.” Kit nodded, “Now, I think we should see how many of our Jedi members will volunteer to stay behind for rebuilding efforts, and send the rest home for a well deserved rest. We’ll meet with the full council about dealing with the Sith Order.”

“I agree. The Sith are now our concern as it was to the Jedi of the past. They are no longer Voss’ problem so long as they do not return here.” Saesee nodded.

“Let’s go divide up, and then those of us going back to Coruscant can load up and leave,” Shaak Ti said as she stood up.

The Jedi Masters all stood up to do just that, some heading to speeders to speak with the Jedi in other towns directly, and others moving around to the many Jedi gathered in the local town after the battle in the Nightmare lands, and Mace himself moving to the local medical hut to speak with the Mystics and update them on the situation.

Their home planet was back in their hands. They could rebuild their governing body while also rebuilding homes and businesses that had been lost. Finally, the Voss had some good news.

* * *

The Jedi healer that was helping Obi-Wan finished cleaning and dressing wounds before helping him over to a bed, not far from where Anakin was still being treated.

Anakin looked over at his omega being helped into the bed, and he smiled. “Thank you for killing that beast. I’m not sure how much longer I would have survived if you hadn’t been there for me.”

“There’s no way I’d let that monster take my alpha away.” the omega smiled uneasily as pillows were adjusted for him to lean against before the medic hurried off to help another injured person in need. He relaxed against them and finally was able to get his shaking to settle down a little.

“Hows your body?”

“Hurts. I’m definitely going to scar, but I can handle scars.” Anakin admitted.

“It’s not as bad as the time you got your arm cut off.” Che said as she applied more bacta cream to the acid burns. “You healed from that, so you’ll have no problem healing from a few broken bones and some scarring. Just remember to behave and stay in bed rest until you’re cleared to get up and move around.”

“Have the Jedi decided when they’re going back to Coruscant yet?” Anakin asked Che as he tried to sit up a little more, wincing as he did so.

“I wouldn’t know. I’ve been here working on your injuries the whole time, but I know the High Council members who are here all are meeting to discuss things. I’m sure once they have finished, we will hear about it.” 

She used the Force to help hold him up enough so she could wrap his torso in bandages before nodding and helping him over to the same bed ObiWan was in. “But your priority now is to stay in this bed with your husband and worry about healing.”

“That sounds like a good priority.” Anakin sighed happily as he curled up as best as he could without hurting himself, closing his eyes and snuggling up to Obi-Wan.

“Good. Your mother and friends are all here in town as well, and once things settle down a bit, I’ll send them in to visit. They have been very worried after you disappeared out of your bed, Mystic Obi-Wan.”

“Think how I felt when I seemed to just wake up in the Nightmare Lands.” Obi-Wan sighed, “I don’t remember leaving my bed, for all I knew I was taken and you all had been attacked.”

“I woke up in the middle of the night and you were gone from the bed,” Anakin spoke up. “When I realized you were missing, I think that was the most scared I had ever felt.”

“I’m sorry, I really didn’t want to leave you. Especially to see that horrible Outsider again—or Sel-Makor of all things…”

“I’m just glad you’re safe now, and so is Voss. We don’t have to worry about Sel-Makor or the Sith again.”

Nodding, the omega curled into his alpha, “Never again.”

At that moment, the door opened and Mace stepped in, looking around at the healers and medics who were all busy helping the injured. “Which Mystics should I speak to at this point?” he asked a Voss medic who didn’t seem too busy with a major injury.

“Mystic Obi-Wan is finished being treated, and is awake, so he would be the best choice if you need to speak with a Mystic.”

“Thank you.” Mace sighed before moving over to where the youngest Mystic was curled up with Anakin.

Seeing a shadow fall over him, Anakin looked over his shoulder, seeing Mace standing there. “Master Windu… I’m assuming the Jedi are making plans for leaving soon.”

“Somewhat, yes. We are leaving some volunteers behind to help Voss rebuild homes, businesses, and important buildings, but the rest of us will be returning to Coruscant for rest while the High Council goes over the data uncovered about the Sith Order so we can address that issue. We leave Voss back in the hands of the natives, but we wish to urge you not to cut yourselves off again. Keep communications open, at least with the Jedi, so if you need help again, we won’t be so unsure as to if we should trust your Mystic Visions.”

Obi-Wan nodded, “When we elect a new Three to lead Voss, we will discuss with them the possibility of electing a—what do you Outsiders call them again? Senator? Whatever it’s called to keep an open communication going with the Stars so Voss may have allies to rely on in the future.” Obi-Wan agreed.

“If Che clears me before you guys go back to Coruscant, I’d like to go with you, so I can grab the rest of my things and bring them here,” Anakin said. “If not, well, I’ll figure out some way to get back to Coruscant.”

Mace sighed, “Part of leaving behind Jedi members to help rebuild will include leaving behind shuttles for those Jedi to use if they need to go off-planet for supplies. You could go with them on one of those trips once you are healthy enough for space travel.”

“Good, then the main group of Jedi going back to Coruscant soon won’t have to wait on me.” Anakin shifted slightly, grunting lightly. “I know you don’t like me staying here, but I have to. Voss is my home now. I can’t just leave it like I can leave Coruscant.”

“Save your energy, Skywalker. The other Council members are all in support of your choice to leave the Order.”

“Including you?”

“I must accept the decision of the Council in this matter. I still believe your leaving is a mistake.” Mace admitted.

Anakin sighed. “I’m sorry you still feel that way, but my decision is final. I’m staying here with my mate, and I’ll happily live out my life here.”

“Good thing too...you’re the main thing that makes me feel safe anymore.” Obi-Wan muttered into Anakin’s shoulder, “So...when you do go back to Coruscant...hurry back quickly. I originally wanted to go with you, but after my last trip to the Stars, I don’t think I could handle it again any time soon…”

“I promise I’ll come home as soon as I have all my stuff. I don’t plan on spending more time than I have to on Coruscant.”

“Good.”

Mace sighed again, “I’ll leave you be. You know what’s important now, anyway. I hope you and the other Mystics make a full recovery.” he said before leaving the two alone once more.

“Nice of him to let me keep you.” Obi-Wan said with a small smile.

“Absolutely. I wasn’t going to go back even if he wanted me to. I’m happier here than I’ve been in a long time.” Anakin smiled at Obi-Wan and leaned over to kiss him.

“Even with monsters tossing you around like a ragdoll?” the omega tried joking.

“Well that part was no fun, of course. But being here with you has made me as happy as I was back when I was still living with my mother.”

“I was scared I’d lose you.” Obi-Wan repeated his worry, reaching up to touch a lock of Anakin’s hair, “I don’t know what I would have done if I had… I just…”

The omega sighed and kissed him again, “Let’s try not to dwell on all that. We should probably rest a bit before Mom and Nodin-Va burst in here.”

Anakin nodded as he leaned against his mate again. “I’m exhausted still anyways. Some rest before they get here sounds great.”

“Rest well, Ani.” Obi-Wan said with one last kiss before he closed his eyes to drift off.

* * *

To be continued...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! We normally don't put notes in chapters like this, however, due to the changes AO3 had to make in order to deal with the increase in traffic during this pandemic, the hit counter no longer includes hits from people who are not logged into an account. (Link below explains in more detail) As such, we would like to take a moment here to say we would very much appreciate it if anyone who is not logged in or does not have an account to consider leaving kudos or a comment, not just here on this fic, but on any fic you find yourself enjoying. It will help encourage fic writers to keep posting even when we see our hit counter take a dive in traffic compared to the past when something new is posted or updated. Thank you.
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> https://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/15379


	24. Chapter 24

“There it is, Threepio. Hope you’ll like our new home. It’s a lot calmer than Coruscant, I can tell you that.” Anakin smiled as his ship jumped out of hyperspace, giving way to the view of Voss, which was looking greener than it had when he left. It just proved that Voss had been ill for a long time, and now it was free to finally grow back to its former glory.

“Oh! Well, it certainly does look that way, Master Ani. I can’t see any signs of too-tall buildings or wreckless sky traffic.” The anxious droid stepped closer to the viewport, looking down at the mostly blue planet with yellowish-green land under the swirls of clouds. “Oh I do hope this is a kinder planets to droids such as myself. I would not like the annoyance of sand getting into my parts all the time like they had on Tatooine. I’d rather not need cleaning that often.”

“Don’t worry, there’s not a lot of sand here on Voss. It’s mostly grass and water you have to worry about.” Anakin took the ship down into Voss’s atmosphere with a smile on his face. “There aren’t many droids walking about, but I am trying to repair them all. It’s a long process.”

“Repair? Did something attack them? Oh dear.”

No, Threepio. They’ve just been sitting around without maintenance for hundreds of years, so a lot of them are rusted up and won’t work any more. Artoo is still kicking around, so you’ll have him to talk with while I work on getting more droids working.”

“No maintenance? For that long? Oh dear. I do hope there are proper charging ports on this neglectful planet, Master Ani.”

“There are, don’t get your bolts unscrewed.” Anakin chuckled as they soared over oceans and continents, lush trees rushing by below them. “I did say there were other droids around, and they also need charging. You won’t go months without a charge, I promise.”

“Oh well excuse me for being concerned after learning of the condition of the local droids. Really.” Threepio huffed.

Outside the viewport as they entered the atmosphere, Anakin could see that the rebuilding efforts had really taken shape in his two month leave. Voss-Ka was nearly complete, and the surrounding villages all looked good as new—and a little larger to create housing for the new native residents to Voss. Most of the clones had chosen to stay, after all.

“Well, this place seems quaint enough. So long as they get better at Droid care and maintenance.”

“I’m sure Voss is going to take off with advancing in technology, especially now that they’re going to stay open to the galaxy rather than closed like they had before.”

“Sounds like both a terrible and wonderful idea. But I suppose it can’t be worse than Tatooine.”

“Voss is so much better than Tatooine. Plus I get to live here with my mate, which I’m very excited about. I’m so glad to leave the Jedi Order so I can be with him.” Anakin couldn’t hide his smile that got bigger as he recognized the farm that belonged to Obi-Wan’s mother. It was still Anakin and Obi-Wan’s home, but Anakin hoped that once the Shrine of Healing was rebuilt, they would be moving back into it soon.

“I will trust you on that, Master Ani.” The droid paused as he watched the scenery outside a moment, “Will my functions be useful here?”

"Absolutely. I'm sure Obi-Wan's mom would love help around the house. You'll be more useful though when we move back to the shrine. There will be lots of people you can help."

Anakin gently landed the ship a fair distance from the farm so as to not spook any of the animals. When the ship finally landed, he took off the harness that strapped himself to the pilots seat, and then he sighed and stretched.

“Good, I do like being useful.” the droid said, turning to waddle out of the cockpit.

"You always have." The alpha got out of the seat and lowered the loading ramp so he could unload all his things from the ship. As soon as he stepped outside, he took in a deep breath of fresh air and smiled. 

"Man, it's good to be home…"

“Anakin! You’re finally home!” Cera-Rai said, rushing out to greet her son-in-law.

“Oh, is this your mate, Master Ani? A pleasure to meet you, I am C-3P0; human-cyborg relations. How might I serve you?”

"Threepio, this is my mate's mom, not my mate." Anakin wrapped Cera-Rai tightly with a hug.

She chuckled, “Well, it is nice to know I look young enough to have an alpha like you.” she smiled, giving him back a motherly hug. “It is good to see you, but you should head to the Shrine of Healing. Surveys of it proved that the residential areas of the Shrine were not badly damaged, and the Mystics, Interpreters, and protectors who live there were able to reclaim their rooms after the doors were fixed. They have also started on repairing the part of the Shrine that had been badly damaged. We have already moved all your and Obi-Wan’s things there.”

"That's great! I hope Obi-Wan hasn't been too stressed without me around. But I guess I won't be unloading the rest of my things here."

“Well, his heat had hit shortly after you left, and that was stressful for him. But we all knew he’d have one or two heats while you were gone. He became rather possessive of all your clothing. Every article was in his nest.”

"I'd better get to the shrine then. I'm sure he's dying to see me again."

“Very much so. Your bond is still very fresh, and he’s still in that stage of being clingy that all newly-bonded omegas go through. Be sure to scent him as soon as you see him.”

Anakin nodded. "I'll be leaving then. It was good to see you again "

“Take care, and come back to visit me when you and Obi can. There’s been some changes made. Mystics can leave the shrine more often. They don’t like feeling cooped up anymore.”

"Can't say I blame them." Anakin smiled as he got back on the ship. 

It didn't take him long to reach the shrine, thanks to the star ship he travelled in. Landing made Anakin excited to see Obi-Wan again, especially after being away for two months with a brand new bond.

“This place looks similar to the Temple on Coruscant. It seems this place will feel like home faster than I thought it would.” Threepio said as he shuffled out of the starship again.

"I thought you might like it," Anakin said as he grabbed boxes and started unloading them. "It's very much like the temple on Coruscant."

“I will commit the layout to my memory so that I may point visitors in the correct direction should they need it.” the droid stated as he hobbled stiffly up the steps to the entrance. But then he was stopped by a Gormak protector.

“You are not a known Jedi Outsider.” she growled.

“Oh my. I am C-3P0; human-cyborg relations. I am programmed w—”

“Why are you here?”

“Well, that is rather rude.”

"It's alright, he's with me," Anakin said as he approached the gormak. "I hope it's alright that I brought him here."

“Ah, Mystic Obi-Wan’s alpha—you have been missed. He has seemed rather sad without you.” The gormak nodded and let them through, “Just be careful around the construction areas.”

“Thanks, I shouldn't take long unloading my things." Anakin smiled at her as he went inside the shrine, carrying one of the larger boxes with him.

“Do you need help?” the protector asked, “We can have one or two protectors carry some things to Mystic Obi-Wan’s door. I’m sure he will be stealing your attention as soon as he knows you’re back.”

"Actually, that would be nice. I'll probably be very preoccupied with Obi-Wan as soon as I see him."

“I’ll call some helpers over and will make sure it’s all left outside the door for you to bring in the rest of the way when you’re ready.” she promised as she took out a modern comm. All the protectors were now equipped with one so that they could communicate more efficiently.

"Thank you." Anakin happily made his way to the room he remembered belonged to Obi-Wan, a slight skip in his step as he passed by other Voss. He was glad to see others happy again. It was clear that with Sel-Makor gone and the war over, the people of Voss were enjoying life even more.

When the alpha finally reached Obi-Wan's room, he knocked, wanting to surprise Obi-Wan at the door.

It took a moment but finally the door opened to show Nodin-Va with a slightly annoyed look on his face, but then it changed to hope when he saw the alpha, “Oh thank the sunrise! You’re back!”

He reached out to drag Anakin inside Obi-Wan’s apartment, the main room looking very much the same as it had before, though it was filled with a familiar sweet scent.

“Mystic Obi-Wan started his heat yesterday and he’s impossible. He threw a shoe at me for not being  _ you _ just moments ago when I went in to bring him more water and a snack. So please, take over and go give him your knot or whatever it is he needs right now. Taking care of a bonded Obi-Wan in heat is not the same as an unbonded Obi-Wan in heat.”

"Force, alright, just make sure all my things get into the room." Anakin dropped the box near Obi-Wan's bedroom before entering, instantly being bombarded with the sweet scent of omega in heat. He let out a happy purr as he closed the door behind him.

Obi-Wan’s nest was larger than any previous nests Anakin had seen the omega build, but then again, he was back home for his heat, and probably had all his usual nesting supplies, plus a few more from his mother’s house. Not to mention the fact the walls were lined with what was obviously Anakin’s clothing.

The omega’s head popped up over the edge off the nest, his eyes wide as he let out a happy sound before he was scrambling out of the nest, not minding when things fell to the floor in his rush to reach the alpha.

And then he was flinging his naked, slick-dripping body at Anakin. “Alpha!”

Anakin smiled as he hugged Obi-Wan close. "So glad I came back to this wonderful surprise."

“Missed you.” Obi-Wan whined into Anakin’s neck, nuzzling against his skin and taking in his scent, not minding at all that it was stronger than usual because Anakin needed a good bath or shower. His alpha was home with him, that was all that mattered. And the too-strong smell was welcomed compared to the faded scent in Anakin’s clothing that lined his nest. He’d protest if Anakin insisted on bathing right away.

“I missed you too. Let’s catch up on the few months we missed being together.” Anakin smirked as he moved over to the nest and put Obi-Wan back in it, immediately crawling on top of him and kissing him.

“Yes, yes!” Obi-Wan wrapped the alpha in his legs as his hands began to tug on his shirt to remove it. He was craving the contact of skin almost as much as the feeling of being so full and knotted by his alpha.

As soon as Anakin’s shirt was off, he attacked his shoulders and chest with his mouth, trailing kisses down from his lips to his pecks.

Anakin rumbled happily at the attention he was receiving, letting his organic hand roam about his mate's body. "I heard you went into heat right after I left. Sorry I missed your second heat in our marriage, so I'll make it up to you in this one."

“We knew you would miss it, and possibly this one, too. I have tried being understanding but...whenever someone that’s not you walks in, I can’t help but throw a fit…” Obi-Wan admitted between his kisses.

“It seems you like to throw objects as well. Good thing I’m the one you really want here.” Anakin smirked as he trailed a line of kisses down Obi-Wan’s torso.

The omega flushed a deep red, “That—was an accident—and at least it wasn’t a toy…”

“No, wouldn’t want to lose any of your toys, would you? Because I know you use them when I’m not around to help you.” The alpha reached Obi-Wan’s hips, glancing up at the omega before flicking his tongue out to lick the already hard cock next to his cheek.

Obi-Wan moaned and shifted, “My mind’s going fuzzy again…”

“Good, maybe I can make it more fuzzy.” Anakin took Obi-Wan’s cock into his mouth in one swift move, immediately bobbing his head and sucking.

The omega gasped, then moaned, reaching and hand down to tangle his fingers in Anakin’s curls.

The alpha groaned loudly at the touch from his omega, and his hands gripped Obi-Wan’s hips tighter. The feeling of precum on his tongue excited him, so Anakin picked up the pace, humming more to stimulate the redhead.

“B-back too...please.” the omega pleaded, shifting his hips upwards.

Making a soft noise, Anakin came off Obi-Wan’s cock and lifted his hips even more, moving the omega’s legs to rest over his shoulders while he dove in and started lapping up slick from the leaking entrance.

It wasn’t what Obi-Wan was thinking of when he’d asked, but he certainly wasn’t going to complain. Any touch there was going to feel good if it came from his alpha. Fingers or tongue, it was all welcome. He moaned louder, moving his legs up to hug his knees to his chest so that the alpha had full access to his entrance.

Anakin spent several minutes eating out Obi-Wan, stopping here and there to breathe and leave little kisses at the base of the redhead’s thighs. It wasn’t until he was finally getting too uncomfortable to be in pants anymore that he stopped giving his mate attention. He pulled back and moved off the bed, taking off the rest of his clothes and standing expectantly near the bed.

The omega blinked before shifting to the edge, parting his lips, and taking Anakin into his own mouth, running his tongue along and around it, his throat letting out little happy moans as he worshiped the cock that would soon bring him bliss in the form of a knot.

Anakin let his eyes close and his head tip back as he enjoyed the attention. He knew that Obi-Wan had waited so long to get knotted again, but Anakin had also waited a long time to share another heat with his husband, and he was determined to make the most out of it, which included receiving what the omega gave so willingly.

Obi-Wan continued to hum and bob his head until he felt Anakin’s knot twitch against his lips. It was still a ways off from inflating, but it was a good indication that they should move on to the main dish if they wanted the full enjoyment out of it. So he pulled back and turned around, presenting himself to his alpha, and tilting his head so the mark on his neck showed fully.

Anakin reached forward and touched the mark with his organic hand. "Beautiful… my omega."

The touch sent a pleasurable shiver down along Obi-Wan’s spine, and he felt a fresh wave of slick leak from his hole. “Oh  _ alpha. _ ”

The alpha purred in delight at the rush of slick. "So beautiful. I do have to ask though, do you have any protection, or do you not want to use protection?"

“Uh….” Obi-Wan took a moment to try collecting his thoughts and consider the question, “Oh, right...protection...I—I think Nodin-Va picked some up for us...it should be in my drawer of toys? But...I don’t mind if we use them or not…” he flushed, “We do want kids, and...and Voss in back to a time of peace, so…”

"I didn't know how soon you wanted to start talking about having kids. If you're ready for them now, then I won't worry about protection."

“I just wanted Voss to be peaceful...so our little ones won’t have to grow up scared. So if we have one right away, or if we wait a bit longer...I’m just happy to start a family with you.”

"As am I." Anakin smiled as he moved away from the bed and grabbed the protection he would be using. "Let's wait just a little longer. This is only my second time spending a heat with you, and I'd like to have a few more before we decide on trying for kids."

Obi-Wan nodded, “Well, if you put it that way, yes, I’d very much would like to wait a little longer.”

"Besides, when we do decide on kids, I'll make sure I come so deep inside you you'll be thinking about it for weeks afterwards." Anakin slipped on the condom and pulled Obi-Wan's ass higher into the air, pushing his head down so he was presenting even more so than before.

“Yes, Alpha.” the omega willingly submitted, doing his best to stay in position and not shift back to press against the cock he knew was standing tall and ready behind him. He’d get what he wanted soon, He was needy, but his alpha had also been away and alone. If he wanted to look and touch a little more, then he could.

Anakin crooned deeply as he climbed onto the bed and lined up his cock with Obi-Wan's entrance. He moved his hips slightly, just enough to get his cock covered and dripping in slick. 

Obi-Wan’s moan turned into a whimper of want half-way through, and he gripped the sheets under him, “All yours, Alpha…”

“Sweet omega.” Anakin leaned down and placed a kiss on the back of Obi-Wan’s hips before he positioned himself and slowly pushed his cock inside his omega’s waiting entrance.

Letting out a pleased purring, the omega sucked in a breath, waiting and feeling as he stretched further and deeper until Anakin was fully inside him. Once he was, Obi-Wan let out the breath and looked up out the corner of his eye at the alpha.

Anakin smiled down at Obi-Wan before starting to move his hips at a nice pace. He groaned as he felt how snug his mate felt around him. 

_ Finally _ .

Though it had only been about two standard months, Obi-Wan felt like it had been years since he’d last felt the pleasure of his alpha inside him. His toys were no match, and while most of the time he was fine living without a sexual touch or romantic kisses, during his heat he’d felt like he’d go crazy without his alpha there to take care of him.

But Anakin was back. He was back and in their nest and touching him so deeply in his time of need, turning the omega into a moaning mess. 

Just knowing that he’d soon be knotted and locked onto his alpha made his insides twitch in anticipation, already on the verge of an orgasm, even if it was so soon after starting.

Anakin let out a goan when he felt Obi-Wan tighten around him. They fit together so perfectly, as if the galaxy determined they were perfect for each other the moment they were born. The alpha basked in the glory of the moment, losing his mind to the greatness that was sharing a heat with Obi-Wan.

“More…” Obi-Wan moaned out, “knot!” He wiggled his hips and pressed back in hopes of coaxing Anakin into his knotting climax. Quick and early as it was, they would have plenty of time to enjoy the heat together afterwards, and after having a heat without his alpha there, Obi-Wan wanted that feeling of being locked in place where he belonged.

It was very early to already be reaching a climax, but Anakin felt his building up the more Obi-Wan begged for his knot. He couldn’t help but groan and move his hips faster, muttering how good an omega the redhead was. Before much longer, Anakin knew he was about to orgasm, and he slowed his pace just a little, pressing his hips forward as far as they would go until his knot slipped into Obi-Wan and locked them together. A few more thrusts was all it took for Anakin to cry out and come, his knot pulling on the omega’s entrance as he came.

The omega cried out as his body took the alpha’s knot, his mind being left in a fuzzy daze as his body began to collapse like a rag doll, his stuffed entrance leaking another wave of slick.

The alpha tried not to put his full weight on his mate as he too collapsed onto the bed. He sighed happily and nuzzled Obi-Wan’s cheek after catching his breath and coming down from the high of his orgasm. “Force, I love you,” he managed to say in a low tone.

The omega mumbled out something that was probably supposed to be an “I love you, too” followed by a “Please don’t leave again”, but the sounds were so jumbled that they tumbled out of his mouth in a mess he didn’t care enough about to try and clean up. He was happy and sitting tight on his alpha’s knot. That was all that mattered in that moment, not his ability to speak clearly.

“You have me for the rest of your heat, omega. I’m not leaving for a long time.” Anakin turned onto his side and curled around Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan hummed at that, a content little smile curled his lips as he lazilly shifted his arms around until he caught hold of a loose blanket to pull it over their bodies.

“Good omega…” The alpha sighed again and nuzzled the back of Obi-Wan’s neck. “So good for me.”

“Mm-alpha…” Obi-Wan purred, closing his eyes to rest until his alpha was released and his need had built back up for a second, hopefully longer, round of sex.

* * *

The married couple happily spent the rest of the heat together without any interruptions. Their time spent together strengthened their bond greatly, as they didn’t have to worry about any Sith or Sel-Makor. The couple was just glad to finally spend a heat together that wasn’t under any stressful situations. Both alpha and omega came out of the heat feeling better than they possibly had ever felt.

When they had come out of the heat, much of the shrine was rebuilt and ready to return to normal function. Much of the same was true for the areas of Voss that had been attacked. Voss was looking better than it had in a very long time, the plants growing greener every day and the wildlife thriving alongside the people of Voss. 

On a particularly nice day, Anakin was outside the Shrine of healing, practicing some moves with his lightsaber, as he had gotten a bit out of practice. He figured it was a good idea to remember the different forms he had been taught in his time as a Jedi.

“Need a still-learning sparring partner?” Obi-Wan asked as he moved along a stone path away from the shrine and towards the open area Anakin would go to practice his saber skills, Basil happily following behind him beeping out a greeting to the alpha that had fixed him. The Mystic still had Maul’s purified saberstaff after the Jedi had all learned what had happened with it, and they had all insisted that it would protect him if he learned to use it. The omega hadn’t understood much of what was explained to him about kyber crystals and how they formed bonds with people (usually Jedi) but if they could learn to trust in the visions of a Mystic, then he could trust in kyber crystals, and he agreed to be taught to use the weapon properly.

Anakin was his main teacher, of course, but when Anakin was away, his training was continued by some of the other Jedi who had stayed to help rebuild.

After he’d learned enough to start sparring, he’d also been shown how he could modify the hilt, though he didn’t use the Force to do it like the Jedi did, but he’d made the weapon look more elegant that complimented the white blades wonderfully. It also had a Voss look to it so it didn’t look out of place against his expensive robes when he wore it on his hip.

Truely, he hoped he’d never need to use it for anything serious, but it was nice to know that he’d have the skills to defend himself if he ever did need to. But for now he used it only for a friendly spar with his husband.

Anakin paused in his practice and looked over at his mate, smiling. “If you’re willing to spar with me, I won’t say no.”

“Well, how will I finally beat you one of these days if I don’t practise, myself? Plus I’m taking a break. Meditation brought a few visions—all nice and boring concerning crops and the weather.” he chuckled and took his saberstaff in hand, activating it so the two glowing blades would hum softly, no longer the loud angry humming it’d done when it had been in a Sith’s control.

“I’m assuming we’ll have a nice harvest this year?” Anakin shuffled to the side so Obi-Wan would have enough room to swing around his saberstaff.

“If farmers can get the harvesting done before the storms hit, I assume. Nodin-Va is taking care of the interpreting. The two things might not be related, but I got the impression that it was.” Obi-Wan moved into a starting position and took a deep breath to get ready for the spar.

“Now, shall we dance, dearest husband of mine?” the omega smirked.

“You know I’m always up for a dance with you, Husband.” Anakin smirked before taking the first attack, lunging forward and sweeping his weapon in a large arc.

Having learned to expect Anakin to be the type to attack first early on, Obi-Wan was ready and side-stepped, using the saberstaff to block the attack and knock his blue blade back a bit before swinging the second end of his own weapon towards Anakin. 

At first he’d been hesitant to ever attack his love, but Anakin was good at what he did, and always managed to escape the blow one way or the other. Plus Obi-Wan  _ was _ a Mystic and had healing abilities beyond what the basic Voss medics could so. So if he did catch Anakin’s leg, he’d be able to heal it for him—likely with the promise of letting Anakin cook one of his Tatooine dishes, which were usually too spicy for the omega’s taste, but Anakin really loved the flavors.

Together the two were locked in battle, sparring and defending attacks as they danced around the patch of grass. Every attack that Obi-Wan came up with, Anakin blocked easily, and in the same way, Obi-Wan continued to block all of Anakin’s attacks. Their sparring was more a game of endurance. Who would last the longest and who would submit to the other? The winner gained prizes so treasured that they were received in the privacy of the bedroom, not shared to the public in any way. The victor of the sparring got bragging rights, along with power in the bedroom, the ability to command anything and have it happen. It was such a rich reward and a fantastic motivator.

Obi-Wan was starting to run out of energy—again. And when his blocks were starting to become sloppy, he sighed and stepped back, deactivating his weapon and dropping his head in submission. He knew better than to push himself once he started getting sloppy. It would only end up with him hurting himself.

“I guess you win yet again.”

“Aww, you were doing really good too.” Anakin deactivated his lightsaber and clipped it to his belt before he approached Obi-Wan and kissed him. “Maybe next time you’ll win.”

“Maybe, but I’m getting tired and don’t want to hurt myself when I know I’m getting tired.” he admitted before looking up into Anakin’s eyes, “Are you at least a little tired, too? I need to know if I’m getting close to your endurance levels.”

“You’re getting close for sure. I’m a bit winded.”

“Then can we count it as a partial win and I get one request tonight? You still get your wishes, but I just want one.” he pouted.

Anakin pretended to think about Obi-Wan’s question. “I think I can let you have a request tonight.”

“Good, I was hoping you’d say that.” Obi-Wan slipped his arm around Anakin, “Now, let’s see about some lunch. I have something I want to discuss with you.”

Anakin wrapped an arm around his mate’s shoulder as they headed back towards the shrine. “Oh yeah? Is it something you want to save for lunch?” 

“It’s best to discuss details over lunch as it could take a while, but I could start now with asking how you would feel about knowing about special things before they happen?”

“I guess if they’re exciting enough, I’d want to know as much as I can.”

“One of the visions I had today was of our future children.” Obi-Wan admitted casually as he kept on walking.

The alpha halted in his tracks, letting his arm fall away from his mate’s shoulder. “Future kids? As in… like how far in the future?”

“I don’t know for sure, but the twins seemed to be about five, and I was very clearly carrying a second pregnancy.” he paused and looked back to smile at the alpha.

Anakin’s eyes went wide. “Twins? Oh Force!” He smiled wide and picked up Obi-Wan, laughing as he spun his mate around. “Twins for our first kids!”

“Would you like to know the details?” Obi-Wan laughed, kissing the alpha’s cheek. 

“Is that even a question you need to ask? Of course I want to know details!” Anakin laughed, setting his mate down so they could continue walking.

“The boy looks like you.” Obi-Wan smiled, “Golden hair and a bright, curious smile as he played in the gardens. The girl looks like me with my red hair and freckles. She also seems a little terror to her brother as she was dropping a bug down the back of his shirt.”

"I bet our kids were gorgeous. I have a suspicion that we make good looking kids."

“Oh, Anakin, they are going to be adorable! I can hardly wait to meet them for real.”

"Then I'd say we try to have kids as soon as we can, because from the sound of it, our kids are going to be great!"

“I want just a few more heats together before I get pregnant.” Obi-Wan said as they entered the Shrine and turned to head towards the dining hall, “We’ll have less time and energy for sex once we have twins to care for, after all. But yes, Soon. I want to get pregnant soon.”

Anakin giggled excitedly. "I can't wait! That heat will be amazing for sure, but to know that we might get kids from it!"

“They can do that Force thing you can do, too. Like, make things float in the air. I don’t know if they have visions, though, and I don’t know their names or secondary genders, so we still will have some surprises when they are born and grow. And then our third baby...we just know there’s a third.”

"So the twins will be Force sensitive? Well, it's a good thing their daddies will be trained in using parts of the Force."

“Well, you can. I’m not convinced that I can.”

“I’m sure you can teach them a little. Like meditation techniques, because I know you’re far better at that than I am.”

“That is completely true. You are horrible at it if I’m not guiding you. But I’m not sure that has to do with the Force. After all, it’s a technique to clear and focus the mind, creating a healthier mental state, and all sentients can do it in some form.”

Anakin shrugged. “It’s easier for some people, and I’m not one of those people.”

“You are with me.” Obi-Wan pointed out gently, reaching up to cup the alpha’s cheek.

The alpha smiled and leaned down to kiss his mate. “It’s always fun when we get to meditate together though. That’s probably the only reason why I ever do it anymore.”

Obi-Wan hummed in agreement, kissing the alpha a few more times before pulling back to continue on their way. “I’ll teach our little ones to meditate, you handle the Force stuff.”

“Sounds like a deal. I’d gladly teach them things about the Force over meditation.”

“I’ll also handle visions should any of them have them.” Obi-Wan said, “The rest we’ll share. Though I think you’ll have more exciting bedtime stories to tell, seeing as you used to travel the Stars.”

“I should take you to some of those places I used to visit. Some are really beautiful.”

“Maybe...after some time. I’m still healing mentally from what happened to me up there.” Obi-Wan muttered.

Anakin pulled Obi-Wan closer. “I know. Maybe for our anniversary one year we could take a trip across the galaxy.”

“Just double check with me before you make arrangements to use one of Voss’ new star ships. I’m trying, but I don’t know how long it’ll be before I can handle the idea of leaving Voss again.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll always ask before a plan is made. I don’t want to surprise you with trips you’re not ready to make.”

“Good—and I don’t want to be pregnant if it happens, either. I can only imagine the motion sickness it’d cause.”

Together, they entered the dining hall and went to grab plates and see what was on the menu that afternoon.

* * *

“Anakin, you might want to slow down!” Obi-Wan said, clutching the side of the speeder with one hand while the other one cradled his small baby bump protectively, “I’m feeling nauseous.”

“We’re not even going that fast though…” Anakin sighed as he slowed the speeder down yet again, knowing that Obi-Wan was struggling with motion and morning sickness. “At this rate we might not get to our appointment on time.”

“I can’t help it. The twins aren’t in the mood for speed, it seems, and I want to keep at least a little bit of my breakfast down.”

“I know. Do what you need to, and I’ll make sure the trip is as smooth as possible.”

“I think...I’m going to try to lay down. Maybe that will help.” the omega decided, reclining the seat back and closing his eyes and hoping his stomach would settle.

“Just relax. I’ll let you know when we get to the medic’s office.” Anakin reached a hand over to grab Obi-Wan’s and squeeze it.

“I’m trying, Love.” Obi-Wan sighed, holding Anakin’s hand.

Once they arrived at the nearby village, Obi-Wan sat up and took a moment before letting Anakin help him out of the speeder. “Okay, I’m ready to see how our little ones are developing.”

“I’ve been ready since the last appointment.” Anakin chuckled as he and Obi-Wan went inside the medical building that had brand new equipment and furnishings inside, thanks to the Jedi and the Galactic Senate.

“You have been ready since I started showing the first early signs of pregnancy.” Obi-Wan corrected, leaning into his husband.

“You’re right. At least you are pregnant now. I was so excited for us to have kids I almost couldn’t wait.”

“I know, sometimes when we had sex outside of my heat I felt like you were trying to knock me up.” Obi-Wan laughed before taking a seat in the waiting area while Anakin made sure they were checked in.

Once they were checked in, Anakin sat next to his mate. “I knew it wouldn’t happen then, but that didn’t stop me from fantasizing about it.”

“Mhm, I’m not a beta woman, I can only get pregnant during heat when my body is ready for it. But, we finally succeeded and we’re having our first two.” He touched his belly with a smile.

Before much else could be said, the door opened and one of Voss’ new locals poked his head out with a smile, “Mystic Obi-Wan and alpha? I’m Medic Kix, who will be helping you today.”

Anakin stood, helping Obi-Wan up to his feet. “Thanks for helping us, Kix. I’m glad to see many of your brothers making Voss their home and making their own lives.”

“We’re grateful to have a place that welcomes us as their own people.” Kix smiled, “And that we are given the freedom of choice. We aren’t forced to do anything, here. We get to choose to stay or leave, to do the work we want to do, to even find love if we want.” He ushered the couple into an examination room, “And it’s nice to be able to use my medical training to see new life enter the world instead of only stitching my brothers back up. I’m technically still learning this side of the medical field, but I can at least handle ultrasounds alone now. Delivery I’ll only be assisting on for a while more.”

He had Obi-Wan relax and bare his belly as he readied the machine that would allow them to check on the pregnancy.

“It’s good you’re happy here working on your medical skills. I’m sure you’ll be the best medic around once you learn everything.” Anakin smiled at Kix before looking back at his mate

“At least for working with pregnancies and children. It’s a nice change.” he agreed.

Once everything was ready, he smeared the warmed gel on Obi-Wan’s small baby bump and moved the wand around, finding a good angle to see what was happening inside. Once he found one, his eyes lit up, “Well, would you look at that! Th—”

“There’s two.” Obi-Wan stated.

Kix blinked at him, “How did you know that’s what I was going to say?”

“I’m a Mystic. And while most of our visions are for events on Voss and in Voss society, we do sometimes have personal visions of our own futures. I had one of Anakin years before we met, and I have had one of the twins—one boy, and one girl.”

“Ah, well, it’s a bit early to tell which one is which, but yes, you are having twins.” Kix took a still of the image and turned the screen to show the couple, pointing out the two forms that were their children. “There they are, and they seem to be growing just fine in there.”

“Look at the little guys.” Anakin smiled and grabbed Obi-Wan’s hand. “I can’t wait to meet them!”

“Our little beans.” Obi-Wan sighed happily with a little purr in his voice, “We need to show Mom her little grandbabies.”

“She’s going to be thrilled to see them. Too bad she couldn’t come with us today.” Anakin leaned down to nuzzle his mate, the biggest smile on his face.

“She’ll be here for their birth, I’m sure. But for now we can go visit her with a copy of the ultrasound.”

“She’ll probably want to hang it up on a wall somewhere.”

“She’ll display it for all visitors to see, I’m sure.” Obi-Wan glanced at Kix, “Is there a pregnancy-friendly medication to help with motion sickness? It’s a day’s ride in a speeder from the Shrine to my mother’s farm, and speeders have not been my friend recently.”

“Absolutely, I’ll get you some before you leave here today.” Kix finished up with the machine and cleaned Obi-Wan’s belly before moving away to get the medicine for the omega.

Anakin couldn’t get the smile off his face as he looked at the still that had been captured of the ultrasound. He kept wondering which baby was his son and which was his daughter, but even more he wondered when they’d start showing signs of being able to use the Force. Would they be floating their teething toys, or would it more be their clothes because they were too lazy to get their clothes themselves? There were so many possibilities that Anakin couldn’t wait to show them how to properly use the Force.

“Ani-Alpha, dear,” Obi-Wan kissed his husband, “You’re daydreaming with a silly look on your face, and I was asking you if you wanted to get lunch here in town before we leave.”

The alpha blinked. "Oh… Yeah, of course. I'd love to get lunch here."

“Good, because I’m really hungry.”

“And you should take these with food.” Kix said, returning with a bottle for Obi-Wan, “And then wait a half hour before going on a long speeder ride.”

“Thank you.” Obi-Wan took the bottle and read the label before tucking it away in his pocket.

“Contact me any time you have questions or concerns over the pregnancy.” the medic said as he showed the couple back out, “I’ll help where I can, and I’ll contact the other medics if I’m unsure. Oh, and here’s your copy of the ultrasound.”

Anakin took the copy of the ultrasound so Obi-Wan's hands wouldn't be full. "Thank you, Kix. Hope the rest of your day goes well."

"I'm sure it will," the man said with a smile. "The healers up front will help you set up the next appointment."

The two quickly set up the next appointment before leaving to find a place to eat.

“I feel like those fry things and a shake...I wonder if there’s a Food from the Stars place in this town yet…” Obi-Wan said as they walked towards where most businesses were located.

"It's possible. It seems like Voss has been getting more Outsider visitors since Sel-Makor was defeated."

“Well, we did join the Galactic Senate and have been making allies with other planets, so it makes sense that we’d get visitors, just as some of our own people have gone to visit them. But I don’t want company right now, I want fries.”

Anakin chuckled. "Alright, we'll get you your fries and your shake, you can take one of those pills and then when that's in your system, we can go home and cuddle until dinner. Sound good to you?"

“Yes.” Obi-Wan nodded, “If the cuddling includes kissing.”

"Of course kissing is included. That's one of the best parts of cuddling."

“Good. Food and cuddling my alpha—my two favorite things right now.” The omega curled himself into Anakin’s arms as they walked and finally spotted a promising place to eat.

He was happy, safe, and starting a family with the man he loved. He honestly couldn’t think of anything that would make life better.

* * *

-End-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

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